Last month, Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris told C-VILLE that City Council was "actively considering whether we should pull out of the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority altogether as of this December." By the year’s end, both Charlottesville and Albemarle County—which jointly fund RSWA’s Ivy Materials Utilization Center and the McIntire Recycling Center—have the option of discontinuing funding for the facilities.
Now, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors is considering what recycling services might look like if Charlottesville ceases funding the McIntire Recycling Center—including a possible consolidation of services at the Ivy center, and a new organizational agreement with the RSWA.
During a Wednesday meeting, supervisors agreed to send a letter to Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris that says, to borrow from Supervisor Ken Boyd, "If you guys aren’t interested in participating in the McIntire center anymore, then we’re pulling out."
"What we’re indicating is we’re very compliant," said Supervisor Dennis Rooker. "We’re willing to stay in it. If they’re going to get out, we’re going to get out with them."
The city currently pays approximately 15 percent of operational costs for the Ivy Materials Utilization Center and 33 percent of operational costs for the McIntire Recycling Center, according to Charlottesville Tomorrow. The rest of the costs fall to Albemarle County, which budgeted roughly $350,000 for RSWA services this year, according to Mark Graham, director of community development.
In a report to supervisors, Graham and county staff recommend that Albemarle continue to support the Ivy Materials Utilization Center with or without a funding agreement with the city. "If the city does not continue to fund the Ivy facility, then the RSWA should implement a fee system for its use by city residents," says the report.
The report also recommends that supervisors consider amending Albemarle’s organizational agreement with the RSWA. Currently, cost distribution between Charlottesville and Albemarle is determined by the amount of solid waste generated by city and county, adjusted for the areas’ respective shares of their combined populations.
During the meeting, Boyd mentioned that both Charlottesville and Albemarle receive equal representation on the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, despite the difference in funding percentages.
"We’re paying 80 percent of [RSWA operational costs] for 50 percent of the vote," said Boyd. "I don’t think that’s right."