Request For Policy Review and Revision

[socl...@att.net]

I am writing to you requesting revision of a county policy regarding the usage of the Orange county salvage sheds. I am a 70 year old lifetime legal resident and registered voter of Orange county.  I pay approximately $3,000 annually in county taxes.     I occasionally visited the Eubanks and Ferguson salvage sheds in the same day.  I follow all the rules as posted, even set my phone timer for 10 minutes to be sure that I did not violate the 10 minute rule.   I had never seen anything posted inside the sheds that prohibits visits to multiple sites per day; only that you are allowed one visit per day for a maximum of 10 minutes.    I have recently been informed that you are not allowed to visit more than one site per day. I could not believe this could be true, so I called the Solid Waste Management Administrative office for clarification. The lady I spoke to told me she was not aware of this “rule”, nor was it stated anywhere on the website that I could find.  Most importantly, there was nothing posted on the signage at the sites. I just checked the website and see they have finally now revised it to state”  Each household may only visit one of the four salvage sheds per weekday and once per weekend.”   Previously, this was NOT stated anywhere on the website that I could locate.

 As a legal tax paying lifetime resident of Orange County, I strongly disagree with this policy and ask you to revise it to allow multiple site visits.  I thought the purpose of the salvage sheds is to keep items out of our landfill?  As a retired senior citizen on a very tight budget and limited income, I rely quite a bit on useful items that I obtain from the salvage sheds and feel I am helping the county to keep these items out of the landfill.

I would also like to recommend that more focus be placed on the number of illegal people visiting the sites. I have seen several people who I know to reside in Alamance county at our salvage sheds.   I would also like to propose that Orange county adopt a sticker system like Chatham county. This would help eliminate this problem.

 I appreciate your time and again, ask you to please revise this policy.  I agree whole heartedly with the 10 minute rule, but strongly urge you to allow a legal Orange county resident to visit multiple sites per day if so desired.

 Thank you for your time and consideration.

 J. C. Smith

[Jamezetta Bedford]

J. C. Smith,

On behalf of the Board, we have received your email. The salvage sheds are very popular and do keep materials from the landfill. 

Jamezetta Bedford, Chair

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From: socl...@att.net <socl...@att.net>
Sent: Friday, October 10, 2025 1:32 PM
To: ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: Request For Policy Review and Revision

 

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[Robert Williams]

Good morning J.C. Smith,

 

The Department is in the process of revising the Orange County Solid Waste Ordinance and your concerns will be taken into consideration. Once the ordinance review is complete, the recommended ordinance changes will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners ,at one of their public meetings, for review. As with any agenda item, the Board welcomes public comment on items it is considering.

 

Please note that, although the salvage sheds represent an important component of the County’s waste diversion strategy, the strategy is balanced against the other responsibilities at the Waste and Recycling sites, including providing a manner for residents of the County to dispose of trash, recyclables, household hazardous waste, organics and other materials. To that end, it is important to make certain that there is access to the sites for all uses.  The sites are busy places! Under current policies limiting visits by residents to one site per day or weekend period seems to be working well.  The sites average over 430,000 visitors per year, so it is necessary to limit the frequency of visits.

 

As to out of County use of the sites, the Department has been working to eliminate use of the sites by non-Orange County residents.  To that end, the Department has implemented a more robust proof of residency program.  Hopefully, this will continue to reduce unauthorized use of the sites.

 

Again, thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns.  Please let me know if you have any other thoughts or suggestions.

 

Sincerely

 

 

Robert Williams
Solid Waste Director
Orange County Government
1207 Eubanks Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Office:919-968-2788

Mobile:919-869-6033
rowil...@orangecountync.gov 

 

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Thanks for your reply but it did not address my request. I agree they keep items out of the landfill.   I am requesting the policy be reviewed and revised to allow visits to multiple sites per day with a 10 minute limit if one so desires. Thank you very much.  J.C. Smith 

Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android

 

On Sun, Oct 12, 2025 at 3:41 PM, Jamezetta Bedford

<jbed...@orangecountync.gov> wrote: