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Supervisors discuss recycling, composting and short‑term rental tracking
Summary
Board members heard staff on recycling operations and tonnage (estimated 10,000–11,000 tons annually), discussed composting options including worm farms and local composters, and considered software to better track short‑term rentals that can mask multi‑site operations.
During the Sept. 19 continued meeting, supervisors pressed staff for more detail on recycling costs and operations and explored whether composting could keep organic waste in the County rather than shipping it out.
County Administrator Candice W. McGarry said staff could produce tonnage and cost data; she estimated the county sends approximately 10,000–11,000 tons of solid waste to the landfill annually. Ernie Q. Reed noted that recyclables are shipped to Raleigh and that plastics are often trashed if there is no market; the County pays to recycle plastic and paper and receives revenue only for metal. Dr. Jessica Ligon said roughly 30% of the waste stream is compostable and advocated exploring local composting, including worm farms, USDA grant opportunities and partnerships with Extension and commercial composters.
On short‑term rentals, supervisors said current tracking can undercount multi‑unit operations: examples such as Wintergreen and campgrounds can be treated as a single rental despite multiple rooms or sites. Board members discussed whether software would be needed to track individual units; staff said software had been previously evaluated and could be revisited with the new Commissioner of Revenue.
No formal action was taken; staff were asked to assemble cost and tonnage figures and to explore composting options and potential grant sources.
