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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSWAB minutes 090607 Minutes - Regular Meeting Solid Waste Advisory Board September 6, 2007 Approved October 4, 2007 Attendance : Jan Sassaman, Bonnie Norwood, Remus Smith, and Linda Bowerman Staff: Gayle Wilson, Blair Pollock, Paul Spire, and Wanda McCain Guest: Minister Robert Campbell and Barbara Hopkins 1 . Adoption of Minutes from August 2 SWAB meeting Norwood moves to accept. Smith 2nd . Passes unanimously . 2 . Board Member Comments Smith states that I would like staff to talk a little about the Chatham transfer station and what you know about getting a landfill in Chatham County . There is land near the dam (Jordan Lake) that seems to be an ideal place for it. It' s not very desirable for farming . Wilson states that there isn ' t much to say other than what was in the paper . Approximately six to eight years ago, Waste Industries purchased a thousand or so acres with the intention of making a big regional landfill to take anyone' s waste . It was very controversial and local politics seemed to defeat it. Waste Industries still owns that land (fill) . I don' t know if the county has a site in mind or if they plan to initiate a siting process . They currently haul their stuff to a transfer station in Siler City, which is then hauled to Sampson County, [to a landfill owned by Waste Industries] . Apparently with escalating costs and the new regulations that passed the Legislature this year which will add additional cost, they have decided in the long run it would be advantageous to have their own facility . It' s true for most Counties but some, such as Durham, have no place to put one due to watershed and soil issues . Smith asks about the relationship between Waste Industries and the county regarding the landfill and use of the transfer station. Wilson states that that would be difficult for the County to suggest having a landfill and presumably have an objective site search process, while they are also dealing with an owner of a lot of land that' s interested in building a landfill . There zvas further discussion about hozv the privately operated transfer station in Siler City zvorks and a reviezv of the position of the Chatham County Solid Waste Advisory Committee urging the County to consider building its ozvn landfill . 3 . Theft of Recyclables Materials Pollock shows the new sign that is going on the recycling containers labeling them as county property noting that unauthorized removal of materials is prohibited . Several months ago as the price of aluminum started to go up we started seeing more theft at the dropoff sites and from restaurant bins . As this continued we ' ve had discussions with the police departments of the various towns . The opinion of the Chapel Hill police, the Orange County magistrate 1 Minutes - Regular Meeting Solid Waste Advisory Board September 6, 2007 Approved October 4, 2007 and several district attorneys was that we are covered under the law as long as we make it clear that we [Orange County] own the materials . We are now in the process of preparing a memo to alert the various police departments that we have complied with what they ' ve asked . There are two gray areas - at the multifamily sites and the blue bins at the curb . The new labels stating that materials belong to Orange County will go on the [rolloff] containers next week . Wilson has had some dialog with the County Attorney about strengthening the County ordinance . Wilson states that the County Attorney' s office has invited us to provide language to strengthen any ordinance against theft. Another element of the theft has been at the [staffed] convenience centers . Some employees have been the culprits and that has been dealt with and stopped . At a couple of the sites, customers have just taken the material using threatening language to take the material that' s on the ground, not containerized . We are trying to have the attendant call the sheriff and stop it one way or the other . It will get worse as prices go up . The reason this is a problem is because the revenue from the metal is used to help fund other things we do . Pollock notes that 600 of the 800 tons that came to the County last year came from the convenience centers, not directly to the landfill . Sassaman asks if this board needs to do anything with this . Wilson states that at this time it' s just for your information. At a later date we may do an ordinance or formal recommendation that you all may or may not want to endorse . 4 . Solid Waste Management Plan Work Group Process Pollock states that we are twenty months behind in our submittal to the State of our three year update of the ten-year plan . It is a problem for several reasons [outlined in the memo for this month' s meeting] . The intent is to write an interim plan and we' d like to know if you want to endorse it. It would be [primarily] a descriptive document that explains what' s been done and what we plan to do . We' ve introduced mixed paper and that' s raised rural curbside tonnage 21 % and urban curbside 8 % though in place for only half a year . Our intent would be to describe the planning process as a substitute for the prescriptive portion . We would show process as we don' t have product now . If you agree, we ' d like you to consider the interim plan concept. Smith asks if at the next meeting the placeholder, interim plan could be presented . Pollock states that we could give you a detailed outline of what the document will look like . Smith favors that. 2 Minutes - Regular Meeting Solid Waste Advisory Board September 6, 2007 Approved October 4, 2007 Sassaman asks when would a plan be ready to present to the towns and the public . Pollock states that there is an obligatory public hearing. Our process is typically longer for we would present to each of the towns as well as a public hearing . In this case we would propose that we could consolidate the plan review into one session . It is hard to set a timetable . Wilson states that there is so much going on it may take at least two months to put a decent plan together . If we don ' t get the buy-in for the concept we will not spend the time on it. We would have to go to County Manager and perhaps Board Chair to discuss . Sassaman asks about the buy-in from the Towns . Wilson replies that if the County said ' yes ' he would ask Towns for buy-in. Sassaman states that there is a concern that if there is an interim plan we may get sidetracked . The plan should state that it' s an interim plan and that we intend to finish the actual plan . Pollock states that we would say in the plan that we have not addressed certain areas -- MRF yea or nay, Shape of commercial recycling, Pay as you throw . We can describe the state of these projects, but not the outcome . Wilson mentions that UNC favors an interim plan. The downside is that while preparing this, we could be working on the real plan. Bowerman favors an interim plan . Pollock also notes the other part is that we are about a month behind when we said we would hold the next meeting . The report on the analysis of taking materials out of county for processing versus the idea of building our own recycling facility will be delivered to us next week as a draft. Two weeks after that we intend to present it to the work group . Hopefully the next meeting will be in October to go over the next plan elements . The other things upcoming are the use of the convenience centers in the future, the work on the rural waste and the notion of the county franchising collection and the analysis of the materials recovery facility . 5 . Programs/Services Update Solid Waste Operations Center/Temporary Administration Relocation Wilson states that we have received notice from the University that we need to be off their property by September 30 . Since then we have been given another month . We 've been looking at various office spaces . Currently I ' m recommending to the manager the lease of some 3 Minutes - Regular Meeting Solid Waste Advisory Board September 6, 2007 Approved October 4, 2007 office space off Weaver Dairy Rd . for about a year . The lease agreement would need approval by the Board . Roger Road Community Enhancement and Monitoring Task Force Wilson states that the next meeting is September 12 . The agenda is to get a final blessing on a map that specifically designates what the historic area is . The recommendation has been to have two areas - one is the heritage area and the other is an enhancement area, which is a smaller subset of the heritage area . The agenda also includes a combined list of the June enhancement or request list, a list from 1997 and a few items that were part of the breakout session at a previous meeting . There are some that are duplicates or similar . The group will go through them and refine them and at some point arrive at a final for enhancement and prepare that recommendation to the Commissioners . After that, we will talk about the next step (s) and what we need to know to make additional decisions and try to bring in those resources . Sassaman asks Mr . Campbell [visitor from Rogers Road neighborhood enhancement group] how he feels the process has gone . Campbell states that things could move a little faster . There is too much space between meetings . Some of the material requested has been slow getting there . Overall things are moving but it could go a little faster . Wilson notes that the summary of the meetings, interim reports and the agenda will be posted on our website soon. Not every item of the agenda, but the key components . Landfill Leachate Sezver Project Wilson states that there are two steps left before getting the final permit, bid and start construction. One is a license agreement from the railroad . On September 19 the BOCC will hopefully consider and adopt to authorize the chair or manager to sign the lease agreement. The agreement will cost $110, 700 . The second item is to acquire an easement across a piece of property between the landfill and the railroad . We are in negotiations with the owners . Norwood asks if the sewer line will service the transfer station. Wilson replies yes . Transfer Station Development Wilson states that we are still working on completing the site plan. It does require rezoning . There is a joint public hearing on October 25 on the rezoning of the property . 4 Minutes - Regular Meeting Solid Waste Advisory Board September 6, 2007 Approved October 4, 2007 Norwood states that the other plan is little better because it has the convenience center there . Wilson states that it also includes a MRF . It all comes together or it doesn' t work . Orange County Comprehensive Plan Pollock states that you all submitted a series of goals for the County' s broader comprehensive plan for solid waste back in June as a component of the public services element of the comprehensive plan . What happen to that is that the county solid waste goal that was stated in the plan was to reduce solid waste as much as possible and handle what remains in an environmentally sound manner . Because the county had adopted a 61 % waste reduction goal and that was in your memo because there were some other specific things to address, it may be worth rejoining that issue . I will be reminding my counterpart in [the County] planning [office] that there was a set of goals put by the SWAB . The planning department' s reaction to brining up the specifics was that it was too early in the process for the specifics . Take a look at the County' s web page to see the process they' re engaging in . The next meeting of the advisory boards playing a key role in the plan is October 16 from 7pm to 9pm at Southern Human Services . I am your liaison to the planning process for this advisory board . Pollock agrees to send Comprehensive Planning process materials to SWAB . Closure of Recycling Center at Animal Shelter/Horace Williams Wilson states that as of September 30 the site will be closed permanently . It was the original recycling center in Chapel Hill . It was part of the University ' s direction to start reducing non- university traffic on that property . Solid Waste Convenience Centers Opening at Lunch Weekdays Wilson states that beginning September 17 the convenience centers will stop being closed at lunch . They will still be closed on Wednesday . Other Pollock states that last July (' 06) the household hazardous waste program hours were expanded to include Monday and Tuesday . There has been a 20 % jump in participation [compared to the previous year] which is commensurate with the new hours and we reduced overhead costs by managing paint better . We also opened the site to small businesses that generate less than 100 kG per month . They brought twenty percent of the waste last year to HHW or about 40, 000 pounds . 6 . Other Business Norwood notes the dust issue at Eubanks Rd . convenience center . Spire states that there was a preliminary survey of staff at all the manned sites . The recommendations I received from their supervisors were to help traffic flow and make them more user friendly . At almost every site, part of the recommendation was to put more gravel down to make more them accessible to the citizens . Subtle changes will 5 Minutes - Regular Meeting Solid Waste Advisory Board September 6, 2007 Approved October 4, 2007 begin . We will put down more gravel, but it is hard to put down water when people are there . The water truck sprayer covers twenty feet and there is no control on how much water comes out. It is wide open or shut off . We can' t work around the people there . I don' t to splatter people' s vehicles with water . Wetting the site when it' s 95 degrees will last about twenty minutes . We are trying a new coating that should keep dust down better . Norwood states that people come and go, but there is a concern for the staff that works there . Spire states that we are working on it. illustrations for how much various types of Norwood suggests publishing visual wastes weigh and how much you can reduce by recycling it. Norwood moves to adjourn . Smith 2na Adjourn 8 : 20pm Next meeting October 4, 2007 Southern Human Services 6