Victoria Hoffman, Solid Waste and Recycling, presented the department’s mid‑year report to the Beaufort County Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Board on operational performance, recycling revenues and a draft FY‑26 budget request, saying the department remains largely on budget but is seeing higher disposal costs after a major storm event and population growth.

Hoffman said the department has produced a vision, mission and annual goals and that, halfway through fiscal 2025, disposal costs were “right on budget” though slightly above projections because of the storm and growth. She told the board the department had expended about 50% of its recycling budget for the fiscal year and that the county received $8,819.29 in commodity rebates in December from sales of recovered materials.

Why it matters: The presentation lays out revenue and cost pressures that Beaufort County staff plan to include in a formal budget request to County Council. The figures and program choices discussed — decal enforcement at convenience centers, continuing source‑separated recycling at four large centers, vehicle and equipment replacements and the county’s tire recycling cost structure — affect operational costs, resident access to recycling, and contracting decisions that the council will review during budget season.

Key figures and operations
- Convenience centers: Hoffman said the county uses tube counters to track traffic at centers but noted some counters were down, which affects month‑to‑month comparisons. Centers showed higher volumes for construction and demolition (C&D) and yard waste; curbside collections showed more municipal solid waste (household trash).
- DECAL program and contractor misuse: Hoffman said contractors are not allowed to use convenience centers and that a DECAL program was implemented to deter contractor drop‑off; she reported the program reduced contractor use but acknowledged enforcement is difficult and relies on code enforcement and attendants not engaging in confrontations.
- Recycling processing and vendors: The county now uses I2 as its recycling vendor; Hoffman said I2 charges processing and hauling fees and provides rebates for commodities, and that some recycling revenues (for cardboard and other materials) are aggregated in the department’s reports rather than shown by commodity on the packet presented to the board.
- Tire recycling and DOR fund: Hoffman explained the Department of Revenue (DOR) tire fund provides quarterly reimbursements that partially offset the county’s annual tire purchase order (about $100,000). She said DOR payments can be late and the state is investigating the adequacy of the tire tax to ensure counties can continue tire recycling efforts.
- Capital and vehicle needs: Hoffman said many solid‑waste vehicles are nearing 10–15 years old and the capital request includes replacements and heavy equipment (skid steer, backhoe, packer truck) rather than just passenger vehicles. She described a 10% contingency (CPI cushion) included in line items to allow for vendor increases and unanticipated costs.

Curbside vs. centers and rural access
Board members asked whether countywide curbside service would be cheaper than operating convenience centers. Hoffman and others on the call said past studies have examined curbside consolidation and that many rural roads would be inaccessible to large collection vehicles; closing centers entirely would likely shift costs but could worsen illegal dumping in rural areas. Hoffman noted that at least four large centers will continue to accept source‑separated recycling and that municipalities with curbside single‑stream service (for example, Bluffton and the City of Beaufort) reduce pressure on nearby centers.

On material handling, Hoffman described the difference between source‑separated recycling at county centers and single‑stream curbside service. Single‑stream material typically goes to a material recovery facility (MRF) — she said Waste Management hauls single‑stream loads to a large MRF in Charleston for sorting — whereas the county’s center materials arrive partially pre‑sorted and require less processing.

Staffing and community programs
Hoffman said convenience centers employ about 40 attendants, most part‑time, and that eliminating centers could reduce those positions. She highlighted outreach efforts led by staff member Valentina, including vermicomposting presentations in schools, a planned Earth Day event, library presentations on stormwater and recycling, and tentative tours of the I2 recycling center for board members.

Board business and next steps
The advisory board lacked a quorum and did not take votes or approve the agenda. Hoffman said the department’s draft budget request will go to County Council during budget season and reiterated that staff keep detailed operational data and can provide cost comparisons if the board or council requests them. The board also discussed open advisory seats and asked that new County Council liaison Bartholomew be given a list of vacancies to help recruit members before the board’s next meeting, scheduled for March (date to be confirmed).

No motions or formal actions were taken at this meeting; the session adjourned without formal votes because a quorum was not present.

Ending: Hoffman said she would provide updated figures and tour invitations (I2 MRF) to the board in advance of the next meeting and that staff are continuing to work with municipalities and vendors on recycling operations and convenience‑center maintenance.