Title
Vote to adopt an Interlocal Agreement Resolution with the Town of Cary to Provide Household Hazardous Waste Collection and Disposal for Their Residents Living in Chatham County
Abstract
Introduction & Background: Chatham County Solid Waste & Recycling (SW&R) hosts nine household hazardous waste (HHW) events per year for Chatham County residents. The Town of Cary (Cary) does not hold its own HHW events. They rely on the County in which their residents reside to provide this service.
Discussion & Analysis: SW&R proposed a cost-sharing plan for HHW services to all the towns with residents in Chatham County. This was distributed to the various town staff members a little over one year ago.
The SW&R program is an enterprise fund, mainly funded by the solid waste fee charged to every Chatham resident in the unincorporated portion of the County. Chatham residents who live within the corporate limits of a town do not get charged the solid waste fee. Until July 2025, any resident of the County was able to bring items to a County HHW event. Starting in July 2025, only residents who had paid the solid waste fee were eligible to bring items to an HHW event, unless their town opted into the cost sharing proposal.
The proposal was for the towns to share cost of the HHW program based on the portion of the total visitors represented by their residents. For instance, if 10% of the visitors to the HHW events were from Cary, then Cary would contribute 10% of the cost of the program. The attached agreement is the cost share proposal with Cary. Once this agreement is approved, Cary residents living in Chatham County will be eligible to bring items to our HHW events.
How does this relate to the Comprehensive Plan: Become more resilient by mitigating, responding, and adapting to emerging threats; Foster a healthy community.
Budgetary Impact: The cost of the HHW program is included in the SW&R annual budget, but has increased in the last several years. The contribution by the towns will help offset the cost of the program by paying for the portion of the program cost attributable to their residents.
Recommendation/Motion: Motion to adopt a Interlocal Agreement Resolution with the Town of Cary to provide household hazardous waste collection and disposal for their residents living in Chatham County.