HAMILTON COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES -
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
MANAGER'S MEMORANDUM

DATE:           March 12, 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 March 19, 2009. The meeting will begin at 9:30 am at Hamilton County Public Health located at 250 William Howard Taft, 2^nd 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 January 15, 2009 Policy Committee meeting are included as Attachment A.

B.      Additions to the Agenda

Please contact Susan Schumacher at 513-946-7734 or susan.schumacher@hamilton-co.org 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.  

IV.    Presentation on Recycling Markets - Tom Turchiano, Rumpke

V.     Health Departments Update

As a result of the District's Strategic Plan, quarterly updates on the Health Department contracts will be provided. The quarterly report summaries for Hamilton County Public Health and Cincinnati Health Department are included as Attachment C.

VI.     Policy Items

A.          Household Hazardous Waste Program Modification

With the current economic conditions, the District is anticipating a 20 percent reduction in revenue for 2009. In anticipation of a revenue reduction, the District is beginning to examine program modifications that could be implemented in 2010. The household hazardous waste program is one of the District’s most expensive programs to operate. Therefore, District staff first examined the household hazardous waste program and is recommending changes in the types of materials collected in an effort to contain costs.

Attachment D provides an overview of the HHW program and proposed changes to the 2010 program.

Staff Recommendation:  Staff recommends eliminating latex paint from the household hazardous waste collection program in 2010.

B.           State Tipping Fee Increase Increase 

An increase in State tipping fees on municipal solid waste is included in Governor Strickland’s proposed budget.  The proposed fee increase is $1.25/ton.  In addition, there is a proposed fee increase on construction & demolition debris of $2.70/ton.  Listed below is a breakdown of the proposed fees: 

Funds collected will be used to fund Ohio EPA programs and Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Soil & Water Conservation.  The following is a breakdown of the funding:

Municipal Solid Waste Increase of $1.25/ton

·         $1.00/ton to Ohio EPA

·         $.25/ton to ODNR Soil & Water Conservation 

Construction & Demolition Debris Increase of $2.70/ton

·         $.45/ton to Ohio EPA

·         $2.25/ton to ODNR Soil & Water Conservation

A portion of the funds from these increases will be used to provide state matching dollars on what County Commissioners provide to Soil and Water Conservation Districts.  The portion of the funds that Ohio EPA receives will be used to support 15 Ohio EPA programs including air pollution control and 401 wetlands permitting, and provide subsidies for local air and water planning agencies.

While the District understands the financial constraints the State of Ohio is facing, there are concerns with the proposed fee increase, including:  impact on communities and the impact on waste flows. 

Attachment E provides additional information on the proposed fee increase.

Impact on Communities

The impact of this fee increase on Hamilton County political subdivisions could vary depending upon each community’s method of financing solid waste management costs.  Some communities, including most townships, would see no impact on their general fund as solid waste costs are passed through, and paid, by residents. 

Other communities, specifically those that either directly provide or contract for waste disposal for their residents will see a cost increase as these fees are either added to tipping fees or passed along through rate increases.

Impact on Community Recycling Programs

Assuming the fee increase is approved, there are three likely responses, assuming the community pays for waste management costs:

·         Absorb the fee increase while continuing to provide current programming.

·                        Initiate efforts to take waste management and recycling costs off of the   general fund and place onto local residents.

·                        Explore options for reducing waste management costs, including expansion of waste reduction and recycling programs or elimination of such programs. 

It has been suggested that an increase in the State’s tipping fee would make recycling a more attractive option compared to disposal.  This could be true for industries, commercial businesses, and some communities.  However, most community contracts are structured on a per household basis for collection and disposal, not a per ton basis.

Impact on Waste Flows

The District obtains virtually all of its revenue from landfill tipping fees as authorized under State law.  It is possible that with the fee increase, waste which was once flowing to Hamilton County landfills could be diverted to out of state landfills.  This would have an impact on District revenues.  At this point in time, it is not possible to gauge the impact of this concern.           

VII.    Information/Discussion Items 

A.           Alternative Technologies

One of the goals of the Policy Committee’s strategic plan is to identify and research alternative technologies. As discussed in previous committee meetings, the District organized a food waste diversion committee to identify ways to divert organics from the waste stream. Staff will provide an update on the committee’s efforts.     

B.             Update on RecycleBank

RecycleBank is an incentive based program where residents receive points based on the amount of maerial recycled. Those points can be reeemed for RecycleBank dollars and used at over 400 retailers. In 2008, the  District partnered with Rumpke, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and the City of Montgomery to develop the first RecycleBank pilot in the State of Ohio.

The RecycleBank program began on October 27, 2008. To date, recycling tonnages increased by 59 percent and the City of Montgomery’s recycling rate increased from 19 percent to 29 percent. 

C.             Update on Urban Timber Project

In 2007, the Cincinnati Park Board, Cincinnati Public Schools, and the Hamilton County Solid Waste District partnered to develop a solution to urban wood waste, including ash trees that are in jeopardy due to the Emerald Ash Borer. Urban wood waste is now being milled for use in Cincinnati Public Schools, and, to date, 4,400 board feet of lumber has been used in Cincinnati Public Schools.

The Urban Timber Program includes the following steps:

1.      Cincinnati Park Board removes dead/dying trees and harvests quality logs as part of the Park Board’s preventative maintenance program;

2.      Cincinnati Park Board contracts with a portable sawmill operator to rough saw ash and oak trees that were harvested;

3.      Cincinnati Park Board transports the rough-sawn lumber to Wilhelm Lumber in southern Indiana where Cincinnati Public Schools takes ownership of the wood.

4.      Wilhelm Lumber prepares the wood with kiln drying, and planning, and transporting it to the furniture manufacture: Creative Shapes located in Hamilton County;

5.      Creative Shapes, located in Woodlawn, manufactures bookcases and coat closets for Cincinnati Public Schools. 

Working with Cincinnati Park Board and Cincinnati Public Schools, the District applied for an $80,000 Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Community Development Grant to expand the program and develop an opportunity for all of Ohio that includes workforce development, education, and recycling. Funds will be used to manufacture trees into furniture, provide educational opportunities for students, and outreach to private sector tree companies in an effort to expand the program.

D.             Litter Collection Update

The County Clean-Up Partnership is a one-year demonstration program for which the District is providing $40,000 to Keep Cincinnati Beautiful (KCB). The funds are used to support the Sheriff Inmate Work Detail Program and litter education. Work Detail picks up letter every two weeks in eight communities outside the City of Cincinnati. The program started July 28, 2008. Listed below are the communities that are serviced through this program:

Cheviot – Tuesday afternoons

Forest Park – Wednesday afternoons

Mt. Healthy – Thursday afternoons

Lincoln Heights – Friday afternoons

Colerain Township – Tuesday afternoons

Green Township – Wednesday afternoons

Delhi Township – Thursday afternoons

Golf Manor – Friday afternoons

Attachment F details the results of the program through December.

E.              Waste Reduction

The District’s waste reduction campaign will launch on April 1^st. The timeline for the campaign is included as Attachment G.

VII.        Tentative Future Agenda Items

VIII.       Policy Committee Members' Comments   

 IX.         Public Comments

 X.          Upcoming District Meetings

The next Policy Committee meeting is scheduled for May 21, 2009. This meeting will be held at Hamilton County Public Health, 250 William Howard Taft Road, 2^nd Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 at 9:30 am.

XI.        Adjournment (Target Time: 11:00 am)