Solid Waste Advisory Commission

Athens-Clarke County Minutes of the Quarterly Meeting of the Solid Waste Citizens Advisory Committee Wednesday, February 16, 2022 Present at Meeting: Commissioner Patrick Davenport, Jere Bowden, Jared Harper, Michael Brugger, Abigail West, Jenn Dunlop, Suki Janssen, Joe Dunlop, Mason Towe, and Susan Lyon (minutes). I. Welcome and Introductions Commissioner Davenport called the meeting to order. II. Approval of Minutes: November 17, 2021 Jere made a motion to approve minutes as presented; seconded by Jared, approved unanimously. III. Public Comments – Jere asked that the signage at the landfill be reviewed as it can be confusing for visitors. IV. Division Reports (ATTACHMENT I) – Recycling/MRF Joe - The Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) has a new operator as of October 1, 2021; RDS (Recycling and Disposal Services) of Virginia. The company presented the winning bid of two bids received. They will not be doing as much separation at the MRF. Paper is separated first and the remaining materials are baled and sent to Amp Robotics in Lithonia. Amp Robotics purpose is to source material from MRFS around the Southeast. The only material that is being sent to the landfill currently is what comes out at presort. Their projection rate is 12% contamination vs our 20%, which makes it a leaner operation. The use of robotics to sort is safer and more efficient. RDS has 11 positions and starts new employees at $12.00/hr., up from the $10.50/hr. offered by Republic. The RDS business model allows for more predictability. The first month, ACC paid RDS processing fees because of many mechanical and equipment issues that have surfaced since the day they took over the MRF. Jere asked about single stream recycling. Single stream is safer and healthier for collectors, as they are not hanging off the back of trucks. It is easier for consumers to recycle when they do not have to presort. One disadvantage of single stream is that the process is not good on equipment. Since RDS will not be using all of the sorters/equipment at the MRF, the plan is to sell the equipment and free up the space inside the building to house paper/cardboard in order to keep it clean and dry. The most recent SPLOST does include a new facility and RDS will help us spec out equipment to purchase. The plan is for the CHaRM and Teacher Reuse Store to move into the old MRF space next door when the new facility begins operation. Collections The Collections division has the largest number of positions filled in the last five years, with only one vacancy. ACC received the National Safety Award from SWANA International for the department’s COVID response. Staff attended the conference in Orlando at the beginning of November to accept the award. Landfill Commissioner Davenport asked if tonnage was up and if the landfill is operating again as pre-COVID. Suki replied that tonnage is up at the landfill (down at the MRF). Currently, the ACC landfill does have one of the lowest tipping fees in this area and we try to send businesses and residents from other counties (beside ACC and Oglethorpe) away, which can be difficult with one scale attendent. The fee was raised last year from $42/ton to $43/ton. Staff will look at increasing the tipping fee again in the upcoming budget process.  Staff are discussing a camera system at the landfill to check tags and catch people outside ACC and Oglethorpe. Madison County has priced themselves out at $62 or $65/ton. Teacher Reuse Store (TRS) Abigail, who serves as the part-time Reuse Coordinator at the CHaRM, shared that a new, first year Barrow County art teacher recently stated that she could not teach without the TRS. The new teacher already has picked up 1,000 lbs. of materials to use in her classroom. Abigail is looking to have more repair cafes and workshops in the new year. UGA Mason Towe went to work in the UGA Office of Sustainability and is the new Manager of the Waste Reduction Systems. He will present any information from UGA at future meetings. V. Old Business Susan will send out a doddle poll for AAH clean-up. Black Lives Matter Resolution – Suki, Josh, and Commissioner Davenport will meet soon to finalize the issues with Dunlap Road. They have worked with the ACC Office of Sustainability and Public Utilities and now have a plethora of data and will be combining the information for public consumption. The data has been available to the public before now in separate areas, but it is being combined in a different, more concise way. There is a Request for Proposal (RFP) waiting to be released until after the meeting to determine the scope. The RFP is for an outside consulting firm to look at all the data, environmental monitoring information, and the concerns of the Dunlap Road residents to ensure that we are doing our job and to suggest improvements. Any money left over from the RFP funding will be used to stabilize and weather- proof the church building on LF property until the decision is made to move or keep the building where it is located now. By-Laws - Commissioner Davenport suggested seeing by-laws from other committees in order to create by- laws for SWAC. Plastic Bags resolution – Suki is hoping to meet on December 15th with subcommittee. The ACC Attorney’s Office has not changed their position on a ban unless we can produce data showing how plastic bags are detrimental to our infrastructure or wildlife population. ACC staff is making an effort to use DebrisTraker app. so that we can use the data to present to the Attorney’s office for future consideration of legality of the ban. NEGA Solid Waste Regional Plan was approved by the ACC Mayor & Commission. Other counties will be voting in the near future. VI. New Business Suki asked that SWAC be recognized at an upcoming Mayor and Commission meeting for the 30 years this committee has been serving ACC. Jared made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Abigail seconded; passed unanimously. Meeting was adjourned at 6:34 pm. Respectfully submitted by Susan Lyon: 2.16.22