Solid Waste and Recycling Council

January 26, 2004

Minutes

 

Members Present:

 

Bob Peterson, Gene Dawson, Janet Person, Jill Barnard, Jim Palmer, Allen Luurtsema and Leonard Klein

Members Absent:

 

Joe Yuchasz, Mike McPherson, Bill Gadwau, and  Julie Mathiesen

Staff Present:

 

Howard Yamaguchi

Others Present:

 

 

 

I.          Call to Order

 

Bob Peterson called the meeting to order at 3:03 p.m.  There was no quorum present, so the chair decided to skip to the agenda items not requiring a full vote.  Skipped items would be attended to when more members arrive.

II.         Solid Waste Coordinator Report

 

Teresa Salveta was present to give her final report.  Her period of employment ended in December.  She presented a handout giving her final report with her recommendations to the Solid Waste and Recycling Council (SWRC).  She also distributed detailed statistics of the October 12, 2003, household hazardous waste (HHW) collection.  Janet Person, on behalf of the SWRC, thanked Teresa for her exemplary service to the County in 2003.

III.        Election of 2004 Officers

 

Jim Palmer arrived at 3:07 p.m., and Jill Barnard arrived at 3:15 p.m.  Howard opened the floor to nominations for officers.

 

Leonard Klein, seconded by Al Luurtsema, nominated Bob Peterson for Chairperson.

 

Motion by Leonard Klein, seconded by Gene Dawson, to close nominations for Chairperson and cast a unanimous ballot for the nominee.  Motion carried - unanimous.

 

Leonard Klein, seconded by Gene Dawson, nominated Janet Person for Vice Chairperson.

 

Motion by Leonard Klein, seconded by Jill Barnard, to close nominations for Vice Chairperson and cast a unanimous ballot for the nominee.  Motion carried - unanimous.

 

Brief discussion by the SWRC resulted in the conclusion that the meeting date need not be changed.  Howard briefed the Council that the membership of the SWRC had been reduced to nine, but reduction will take place only by attrition.

IV.        Minutes of November 24, 2003 Meeting and SW Coordinator’s Report

 

Motion by Janet Person, seconded by Leonard Klein, to approve the minutes of the November 24, 2003 meeting.  Motion carried - unanimous.

 

Motion by Leonard Klein, seconded by Al Luurtsema, to accept the Solid Waste Coordinator’s report for January.  Motion carried - unanimous.

V.         2004 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program

 

Janet Person suggested two HHW days for 2004: June 12 and Sept 11, two locations per day, locations as yet unspecified.  Drug and Labs have been booked for those dates. Two collections may run over the $10,000 budgeted for SWRC.  Janet suggested that this can be worked through a combination of cost share and the solid waste fund. She also noted that the Finance Committee does not wish to fund a SW coordinator position for 2004.  They can contract with the Antrim Conservation District to fill that role for $3,000.   Thus the total will be $15,000 for the 2004 HHW program. Howard added that Bill Gadwau suggested a flat rate $5 or so to be charged to each HHW participant, in addition to the weight-based fees. Janet also noted that the Finance Committee wants some cost share provision in the program.   Bob Peterson asked whether the $3,000 for ACD would cover printing for brochures.  Janet noted that it will not, but that there is a printing budget for the SWRC.

 

Motion by Jill Barnard, seconded by Gene Dawson, to recommend to the Public Works Committee to recommend to the Board of Commissioners that:

* - the 2004 Household Hazardous Waste Collection dates be set at June 12 and September 11, 2004, for an estimated total cost of $12,000, and

* - the Antrim Conservation District be contracted to perform the duties of the Solid Waste Coordinator for HHW in 2004 for a total of $3,000 and

* - the $15,000 required for HHW in 2004 be drawn as follows:
            a) $10,000 from the SWRC “contractual services” budget line item;
            b) $ 5,000 ($3,000 for ACD and $2,000 additional for HHW collection) from the solid waste reserve fund

Motion carried - unanimous.

VI.        Solid Waste Plan Update

 

Howard informed the SWRC that the current solid waste plan needs to be updated in 2004 for approval in 2005.  He noted that we could either work on it in-house, or contract it out.  Jill Barnard noted that the SWRC budget may not have sufficient funds for contracting.  Jim Palmer wondered if it were necessary to update, given that so many counties have “expired” SW plans.  Janet Person suggested that Julie Mathiesen be contracted to re-write the report.

 

Leonard Klein asked what additional items might be included in the update.  Howard noted that more realistic short-term goals such as HHW and spring cleanups be hi-lighted, with county-wide recycling being elevated to a medium- to longer-term goal.  Either way, we need to modify the plan to a program that could be implemented in the near-term as well as in the medium- and long-term.  Bob Peterson instructed all members to go through the current report and return to the meeting next month with ideas and suggestions on which sections to change.  Contact Howard if copies of the report are needed.

VII.       Communications

 

Janet Person informed the Council that there is a WISE workshop in the works (Waste Information Series Education)   These are half-day workshops at which participants will receive instruction on setting up curricula in waste management for school children --- curriculum books will be distributed.  Janet suggested that the SWRC send the Americorps volunteer to the conference.  Howard informed SWRC that there is a training budget that can be tapped.

 

Motion by Al Luurtsema, seconded by Jill Barnard, to send Heather Wilson, Americorps volunteer, to the WISE workshop and return with the curriculum materials.   The conference cost of $50 or so will be taken from SWRC’s training budget.   Motion carried - unanimous.

 

Al Luurtsema asked if there has been any movement on HB 5236.  Janet replied that it is still in committee.

 

Meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m.

Next Meeting: 3 p.m. on February 23, 2004