Harford County is taking care of all its trash in one night with proposals on the table to increase the tipping fees at Scarboro Landfill and implement expansive new recycling programs for all Harford County Public Schools as well as the Harford Community College campus.
The proposed landfill fee increase and a pair of bills focusing on recycling are among a handful of legislation the Harford County Council will discuss during a public hearing before it’s legislative session on Tuesday evening.
The public hearings begin at 6:30 p.m. in the AA Roberty Building at 102 South Hickory Avenue (because 212 S. Bond Street building, including the Council County Chambers, remains closed) and will be followed immediately thereafter by the council’s legislative session.
Bill No. 10-38 increases the fees for deposit of solid waste at a county disposal facility. Specifically, the legislation would increase the tipping for for an average vehicle at the landfill from $3 up to $5. Pickup trucks with a bed up to 8-feet long would pay $7, up from the current $5, under the new plan. All vehicles crossing the weigh pay scales will see their rates increase from $50 per ton to $67 per ton in 2012, $68 per ton in 2013, $70 per ton in 2014, and $72 per ton in 2015. Vehicles hauling contaminated or rejected recycled materials will see their charge per ton increase from $50 to $67.
A clearer picture of the fee increases is evident through the rates that will be charged in the event the weigh scales are inoperable or cannot be used:
– Large closed van: increase from $50 to $67
– Two-axle dump truck: increase from $150 to $201
– Two-axle stake/open body/trailer dump: increase from $150 to $201
– Three-axle stake/open body/trailer dump: increase from $300 to $402
– Under 16 cubic yard front/rear/side compactor: increase from $286 to $383
– Sixteen to 24 cubic yard front/rear/side compactor: increase from $357 to $478
– Over 24 cubic yard front/rear/side compactor: increase from $417 to $559
– Semi-trailer: increase from $950 to $1,273
– Roll-off bed under 25 cubic yards: increase from $250 to $335
– Roll-off bed 25 to 35 cubic yards: increase from $286 to $383
– Roll-off bed 35 cubic yards or larger: increase from $321 to $430
– Reloading rejected waste: increase from $119 to $159
Bill No. 10-39 mandates all trash, garbage and recycling collection contractors in the county to set a minimum collection schedule of once per week and that recycling materials must be segregated from the waste stream and delivered to a recycling center.
Bill No. 10-40 provides for the planning and implementation of recycling programs for Harford County Public Schools and Harford Community College.
Each of the 53 publically funded schools in Harford County have been operating with a strategic, single-stream recycling plan since last year. In August 2009, HCPS implemented Phase I of its recycling program by purchasing standard recycling containers to be placed in each classroom and work area. In Phase II, which will be implemented in 2011, recyclables will be collected in other areas of the schools such as the cafeteria, theater, pod areas and lobby. The plan will also involve HCPS partnering with the Harford County Department of Parks and Recreation to implement recycling collection at all school sports fields and stadiums. Each school must also designate a Resource Conservation Administrator, who will be responsible for overseeing compliance with the recycling policy within the school.
At Harford Community College, there are currently about 100 indoor and outdoor single stream recycling stations, has a recycling rate exceeding 50 percent, and ranked 20th in the nation for the Recyclemania Grand Champion competition among colleges in universities. Under the legislation, the college will continue to work with the county and explore new ways to incorporate programs to increase recycling on campus.
Once per year, Harford County government will request and review an annual update from HCPS and HCC on the results of their recycling programs.
Bill No. 10-41 would allow the county council, after an initial public hearingand adoption of the Capital Program, to make additional changes to the county’s Capital Program by resoluation without the need for additional public hearings.
Bill No. 10-42 provides that the functions of the Environmental Land Preservation Commission be transferred to the Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Board.
Bill No. 10-43 provides that the reference to the Water and Sewer Plan update no longer be codified.
Also on the agenda Tuesday night is a transfer of funds for the Harford County Board of Education and an appointment to the County Auditor Advisory Board.
The full agenda is listed below:
COUNTY COUNCIL OF HARFORD COUNTY January 11, 2011
LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY 11-02
AA Roberty Building
102 South Hickory AvenuePUBLIC HEARING
6:30p.m.– Recycling Plan Annual Review
– Bill No. 10-38 (Solid Waste Disposal Fee)
– Bill No. 10-39 (Recycling Collection)
– Bill No. 10-40 (Recycling Plan Revision)
– Bill No. 10-41 (Capital Program Changes)
– Bill No. 10-42 (Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Board)
– Bill No. 10-43 (Water & Sewer Plan – Repeal of Codification) *********************************************************************January 11, 2011 7:30 P.M.
AGENDA1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. OPENING PRAYER –
Council Member McMahan4. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATION
5. CITIZEN INPUT
6. CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS AND APPLICATIONS
7. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
8. APPROVAL OF MINUTES –
LSD 11-01 (January 4, 2011);PH (January 4, 2011)9. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS
10. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS
11. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS
a. Amendments to Bill No. 10-3812. CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS
13. ENROLLMENT OF BILLS
14. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
15. NEW BUSINESS
a. Board of Education Transfer of Funds
b. Council Appointments – County Auditor Advisory Board16. BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT
17. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS
18. COMMENTS FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS
20. ADJOURNMENT
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www.HarfordCountyMd.govNEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION
January 18, 2011
Citizens!
Be aware that if the county council passes the bill to transfer funds w/n the capital budget, that they do so w/t the benefit of public input. This is dangerous for its lack of open and honest discourse on where your tax dollars are being spent.
Call, email or attend this meeting to let the council know how you feel about the use of your taxes w/t your input.
What if the transfer is let us say from unused funds in water and sewer to pay for something like snow removal? Should they need a hearing for that? Do you want to wait for your street to be plowed while we have a hearing or two?
CDEV; I get your point but for a little clarification,the water and sewer funds are not in the general fund and can’t be transferred by law. If your example had been to move money from DPW to Engineering that would be legal and is within the scope of the council’s authority. Your point about snow removal is great however.
Essentially that was my point. There are some things we don’t need to wait for a hearing on. If the COunty COuncil started using it as a way to fund things they know no body wanted then we should use the Ballot Box to show them the door. But to give them the latitude to move money to pay for something like snow removal is reasonable
The Harford County Council meeting scheduled for this evening, Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at the Harford County Public Schools A. A. Roberty Building in Bel Air has been cancelled due to weather concerns.
The County Council’s next scheduled public hearings and legislative session will be Tuesday, January 18, 2011. Hearings that were scheduled for this evening will be held next week and will commence at 6:30 p.m.
The Council session will be held at the Patterson Mill Middle High School located at 85 Patterson Mill Road in Bel Air.