10/17/1995 - Laserfiche WebLink

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As a case in point, Orchid Island Juice Company is currently hauling 4 large dump truck loads of waste per day to Brevard County to dairy property at elevated costs. Even though the company immediately ordered a $500,000 dryer when notified of our impending action, it will be several months before the dryer can be installed. Before the passage of our motion, Solid Waste billed Orchid Isle $255,000 for assessment fees for dumping an approximate 6000 tons of material. Orchid Isle has purchased acreage on Oslo Road for the construction of a new plant and office with ample space for their operation. Their current location is now inadequate in size due to gvowth of the industry and the requirement of the dryer. Ft. Pierce is courting them very heavily and has offered them some economic morsels to convince Orchid Isle they have immediate space to alleviate the problems we have burdened them with. It is silly to spend a considerable effort to attract industry and inadvertently run our existing industries out. We are talking about a company of 40 employees with profit-sharing and benefits, that employs year- round. Our action has put a hardship on this particular company and probably many others as the season kicks in. Citrus is our number one industry in this county. The waste burden is just not the industry problem, it is our problem as well. This is a perfect example of public-private partnership that should be initiated to solve a common problem. I request that we revoke the Previous motion or remotion to suspend the collection of tippin-a fees for citrus wastes for up to one Year while we help the industry find alternative sources of disposal. One should be the dumping on current or future landfill property to allow the natural drying of the material. Another would be the possible entreprenuership of a commercial drying facility for feed or landfill cover at the new landfill industrial site. Thank you. Utilities Director Terry Pinto believed we would be placing an undue burden on the citrus companies if we simply refused to accept the material any longer. In effect, by giving them the opportunity to pay a tipping fee they would be charged for 24 tons when they actually were taking 7,000 tons into the Landfill. Director Pinto felt that by waiving the tipping fees, we would be providing a free service for a company. If that is the case, we would have to figure out a way to charge a cost for what they are actually bringing in. If we just automatically suspend tipping fees on citrus waste in general, other agencies might start to bring in their citrus waste to the Landfill. Other companies have been bringing in their waste, but they have been within their assessment. Commissioner Adams felt that we have a very tenuous position here with our No. 1 industry in Indian River County. We have been operating on an assessment basis all this time and to change it now doesn't make any difference. In fact, when you look at the Solid Waste Disposal District budget, the income of $400,000 is not blocked into the revenues. Commissioner Adams felt we need to be user friendly and we are not. Commissioner Tippin understood we are charging them $250,000 in assessment fees, but Commissioner Adams pointed out that was before we changed it. They don't owe $250,000 in one payment; they have to pay as they go. OCTOBER 17, 1995 68 boou 96 P4,0F 38