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HAMILTON COUNTY
DATE: September 13, 2002 TO: District Policy Committee Members FROM: Jeffrey W. Aluotto, Solid Waste Manager I.
Introduction/Opening Comments Policy Committee Information (Agendas, Manager's Memos, Minutes, etc.) now available on the District's Website at www.hcdoes.org.
II. Clerk's Report/Additions to the Agenda A. Approval of Minutes -
August 15, 2002 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. Finance Subcommittee Report A. Finance
Subcommittee Briefings for September 19, 2002 B. Recommendation
Regarding District Disbursements - SWR 06/2002 STAFF RECOMMENDATION: With any alterations or corrections noted by the Finance Subcommittee members or Policy Committee members, the Staff recommends approval of SWR 06/2002.
Karen Luken from RW
Beck will be present to discuss the completion of Phase I of the
District's secondary materials study. The goal of this study is to provide
a third party analysis of any opportunities the District has to expand the
market and infrastructure for recyclables within the County. A copy of the
Phase I report is included as Attachment B.
At the last meeting, the Policy Committee received a thorough report from Dr. Carl Evert regarding the Alliance for Chemical Safety's work on identifying household hazardous materials management options for the District. The District commissioned this study in order to better understand various options available with regard to this issue. Several years ago, the District's temporary drop-off program was reduced in scope due to funding constraints. Since that time, the District has received anecdotal evidence that an increase in the level of HHM programming may be necessary. After analyzing the report submitted by the District's intern, Lisa Blair, along with the report from the ACS, staff has come to the determination that there may be significant merit in a permanent facility operated full-, or part-time throughout the year. There are, however, some questions which Staff would like to address before recommending that resources be committed to pilot such a facility. These questions (willingness of residents to utilize the facility, willingness for residents to travel to dispose of material, how often residents typically cycle these materials out of their homes, preferences for periodic, nearby events vs. a permanent, more distant facility) seek to determine residents' service preferences for this program and could be answered, to a statistically significant degree, in the District's next comprehensive surveying effort (this Fall). Assuming the results of this survey confirm the public's desire for a permanent drop-off location, the District could proceed with a pilot program in early 2004. Full implementation of this program will require an increase in outside partner funding or a reallocation of District resources. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the District proceed with a comprehensive surveying effort to ascertain the practices and preferences of County residents with regard to HHM and HHM programming. Assuming the surveys indicate a preference for a permanent facility, staff will work to initiate a pilot in early 2004.
In order to facilitate efforts in the area of Environmentally
Preferable Purchasing, District staff seeks to develop a partnership with
Inform. Inform is a national nonprofit research organization that examines
business practices, technologies and products that threaten the
environment, waste natural resources, or put human health at risk. Their
mission is to identify and promote innovative strategies that are
environmentally sustainable. Inform works with government, industry and
environmental leaders worldwide to promote sustainable solutions. A partnership with Inform would give the County access to a high level of technical skill for reviewing EPP opportunities. This will be extremely useful when dealing with chemical related issues. Inform is extremely avid about reducing the use of materials and equipment containing PBT's or Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxins and other toxic chemicals. They have had numerous successes along these fronts in various states including Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and California. Inform is funded primarily through foundations and grants. In return for their technical assistance, Inform asks only that partners review their recommendations in good faith and implement those which are feasible and practical for the organization. A copy of the proposed support letter will be presented at the meeting. Staff Recommendation: District Staff recommends that the Policy Committee forward a letter of support for a partnership with the non-profit organization, Inform. VI. Informational Items B. Business Waste Reduction Projects
Following up on last month's meeting, Staff analyzed each of the 577 Mayor's Court cases appealed to Municipal Court over the past year. Specifically, Staff was looking for information on how environmental, or quality of life, violations were handled in the Municipal Court system. Of the 577 cases reviewed, staff found 10 cases pertaining to the type of community offenses consistent with an environmental court (violation of waste collection rules, building codes, noise, junk vehicles, etc.) Of the cases with a final disposition, 3 were paid out and 4 were acquitted or dismissed by the court. VII. Tentative Future Agenda Items VIII. Policy Committee Members' Comments IX. Public Comments X. Upcoming District Meetings XI. Adjournment (Target Time: 3:30 p.m.) |
