Manager's Memorandum
July 9, 2009
DATE: July 9, 2009
TO: District Policy Committee Members
FROM: Holly Christmann, Solid Waste Manager, Cory R. Chadwick, Director
I. Introduction/Opening Comments
NOTICE: This memo is for the meeting to be held on
July16, 2009. The meeting will begin at 9:30 am at Hamilton County Public Health located at 250 William Howard Taft, 2nd Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219.
Policy Committee Information (Agendas, Manager's Memos, Minutes, etc.) are available on the District's Website at
www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org.
II. Clerk's Report/Additions to the Agenda
A. Approval of Minutes – Minutes from the
May 21, 2009 Policy Committee meeting are included as
Attachment A.
B. Additions to the Agenda
– Please contact
Susan Schumacher
at 513-946-7734 if you have items to add to the agenda.
III. District Revenue Updates/Analysis
Updates will be provided on current revenue receipts and comparisons with prior years, as included in
Attachment B.
A.
District Revenue and
Expenditure Scenarios
As the District continues
to experience a decline in revenues, Staff has
prepared revenue and expenditure scenarios for the
years 2009 – 2013, included as
Attachment C. At
this time, Staff is providing this document for
informational purposes only to demonstrate that
decisions may need to be made regarding program
modifications if revenues do not improve.
IV. Policy Items
A. Litter Collection Program
In 2008, the Policy
Committee authorized the District to spend up to
$40,000 to conduct a demonstration litter
collection/enforcement project through a partnership
with Keep Cincinnati Beautiful and the Sheriff’s
Department. The funds were used to conduct a litter
collection program in the following eight
communities: Golf Manor, Delhi Township, Colerain
Township, Green Township, Forest Park, Mt. Healthy,
Lincoln Heights, and Cheviot. Litter collection was
also provided to eight Cincinnati neighborhood
gateways and Over-the-Rhine. In addition to the
District’s funding, the City of Cincinnati and 3CDC
provided a total of $80,000. The program is scheduled
to end July 31, 2009.
At the May Policy Committee
meeting, the Committee discussed continuing the litter
collection program through the end of the year. From
that discussion, there are two options to consider:
Option 1 – Approve
Funding of Litter Collection Program through the end
of 2009
This option would
include funding for the litter collection through
December 31, 2009, with the understanding that this
issue will be revisited in respect to revenues and
budget. If revenues continue to decrease, then the
program would be discontinued. If revenues increase,
the Policy Committee would make a decision on
continuing the program past 2009. This option
provides no funding for litter education. The cost
to continue to the program through December is
approximately $15,000.
Option 2 –
Discontinue Funding of the Litter Collection as of
July 31, 2009
This option would
discontinue the litter collection program on July
31, 2009, which is the date the demonstration
program is scheduled to end.
District staff has
concerns about the financial impacts of continuing the
litter collection program. While staff is not
disputing the merits of this program, staff is not
recommending that the litter collection program
continue past the demonstration year for the following
reasons:
1. For
the first five months of 2009, revenues have
declined approximately 13.4% compared to 2008. Given
the reduction in revenue, staff does not want to add
another program at this time.
2. With
the proposed State tipping fee increase, it is unknown
what the impact will be on revenues. Again, with this
uncertainty, staff does not believe now is the time to
extend a pilot program.
3. The
following program reductions are recommended if the
litter collection program continues through the end of
the year: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing,
Recycling at Work, Waste Assessments, School Recycling
Programs, and Public Recycling. The total reduction
is equal to approximately $15,000 which is the cost to
continue the litter program through the end of the
year.
Attachment D provides
more detailed information on the programs that are
recommended to be reduced if the Policy Committee
chooses to fund the litter collection program through
the end of the year. Program performance sheets
compare these programs to the litter collection
program. As requested at the May Committee meeting,
all programs include cost/ton, where applicable.
Staff
Recommendation:
Staff does not recommend continued funding of the
demonstration litter collection program.
B. Proposed
2010 Budget
In late June, staff
provided the Policy Committee with information on the
District’s 2010 budget. A copy of the budget
information is included as
Attachment E.
The total budget request
for 2010 is $2,830,189. As the budget is slightly
higher than projected revenues of $2,510,000, it will
result in a drawdown of the carry-over balance. The
proposed 2010 budget is approximately 6 percent lower
than the 2009 budget.
Carry-Over
Balance
The Policy Committee
recommended the District maintain a carryover balance
equal to eight months operating costs. Based on a
$2.8 million budget, eight months carryover is equal
to $1.9 million. Based upon the 2010 budget being
completely expended and revenues of $2.51 million,
this would leave a carryover balance of $2.4 million
as of January 1, 2011. A $2.4 million carryover is
equal to approximately 10 months operating costs.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the 2010
budget.
V. Information/Discussion Items
A. Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to Rumpke
William Rumpke, Sr. and his
cousin and business partner Thomas Rumpke (posthumously)
were inducted into the Environmental Industry
Associations’s Hall of Fame. EIA is a non-profit trade
association that represents for-profit companies in the
waste service and equipment industry throughout North
America.
B. District Program Receives NACo Award
The District’s
Recycling at Work program received the National
Association of Counties (NACo) achievement
award. Through this program, the District helps
commercial businesses set-up recycling
programs. Specific assistance includes:
technical assistance, deskside collection boxes,
and employee education. Since its inception in
2007, over 100 commercial businesses are now
recycling. Catherine Walsh and Michelle Balz
oversee this program.
VI. Tentative Future Agenda Items
VII. Policy Committee Members' Comments
VIII. Public Comments
IX. Upcoming District Meetings
The next Policy Committee meeting is scheduled for
September 17, 2009. This meeting will be held at Hamilton County Public Health, 250 William Howard Taft Road, 2nd Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 at 9:30 am.
X. Adjournment (Target Time: 11:00 am)
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