Board to Consider Hiring Specialists to Help Sell Landfills

The Board of Supervisors could take the first steps next week in the long and complicated process of seeking a private-sector buyer for the county’s landfill system.

The board will consider whether to request proposals from merger and acquisition specialists interested in helping the county sell the system, which consists of four operating landfills and more than 20 that are closed.

Orange County would be the first public agency in the country to sell an entire landfill system to the private sector, county officials said. But a sale would take a year to complete and require vigorous environmental reviews.

Some officials estimated that a merger consultant could cost the county more than $500,000.

Last month, the Sanitation Districts of Orange County withdrew its proposal to buy the landfills for $300 million after some supervisors said the selling price was far too low.

Additionally, the board next Tuesday will decide whether to direct the Integrated Waste Management Department to continue its restructuring efforts.

Officials have proposed that the department work to reduce overhead costs, with an eye on keeping dumping fees competitive with other jurisdictions, maintaining its current customer base and contracting out some functions to the private sector.

The board also will reconsider a plan for limiting how much the county will pay to defend Auditor-Controller Steve E. Lewis and supervisors William G. Steiner and Roger R. Stanton against bankruptcy-related misconduct charges.

In March, supervisors failed to approve a proposal to pay attorneys up to $295 an hour to defend the officials. Supervisor Marian Bergeson said she wanted the county to consider imposing an overall spending cap on the attorneys or paying lower hourly rates.