Sustainable BC Committee

City of Battle Creek Sustainable BC Committee 10 N. Division St. Conference Room 302A Battle Creek, MI Wednesday, October 2, 2013 4:00 p.m. Members Present: Kathy Antaya, Susan Anderson, Michael Myszka, Devon Gibson, Chris Simmons, Tiffany Eichorst, Comm. Andy Helmboldt, Christine Kosmowski Members Absent: Randall Champlin, Ken Kohs and Becky Spicer Others: Vicki Houser, City Clerk Call to Order: Kathy Antaya called the meeting to order at 4:05 PM. Ms. Antaya noted that a quorum was present. Public Comment: There were no public comments. Approval of Minutes: Kathy Antaya asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes. Devon Gibson noted a correction to the date. A motion was made by Mike Myszka, supported by Chris Simmons, to approve the minutes of the August 7, 2013 meeting, with a correction of the date. All yes, none opposed. Motion approved. Additions or Deletions to the Agenda: Ms. Eichorst requested the Waste Management contract be added to the agenda. Old Business: 1. Public Recycle Stations – Measuring Success Ms. Antaya noted the committee’s concern to measure the success of the recycle stations. Ms. Eichorst stated it would initially be monitored by Waste Management, noting she would contact them to discuss the method of determining their success. Ms. Eichorst also noted there were some delays in the installation. Mr. Myszka stated having them installed before winter would help to demonstrate their use throughout the year. Mr. Myszka stated the benefits of the stations include the education of residents, not just the usage, stating this is a great opportunity for people concerned with recycling. Mr. Simmons recommended asking the Battle Creek Shopper to publish a story on the recycle stations. Ms. Kosmowski inquired as to the amount of recyclables that would be in this general area. Ms. Kosmowski also asked if remaining liquids would have an effect of the ability to recycle. 1  Ms. Eichorst noted the stations take paper products, plastic, cans and glass. Ms. Eichorst stated the issues with residuals being included in the recyclables will take time and education to correct. 2. MML Green Communities Challenge - Progress Ms. Eichorst stated the committee had until November 22 to complete the fields on the Green Community Challenge, noting an ID and password had been established. 3. 15 x 15 Energy Analysis Mr. Myszka presented information to the committee regarding his calculations of the wood burning heating system at City Hall, noting he did not calculate how this met the 15 x 15 policy. Mr. Myszka stated he would continue his analysis with the other utilities. Ms. Antaya stated the policy regards 15% of the of the energy demands of the municipality’s operations using renewable resources by 2015. Mr. Myszka stated he would review the presented information to determine its impact on the 15 x 15 policy, by promoting renewable energy sources, stating he would focus on City Hall’s usage and progress to meeting the goals. Mr. Simmons reminded the committee that the goal was to not only replace natural gas with a renewable resource, citing electricity as an example, noting the goal was not to cut consumption, but to use renewable resources. Ms. Antaya asked if Consumers Energy used any renewable resources. Mr. Simmons stated their primary green energy was to create energy with methane generated from waste products. Committee members discussed the challenges presented with the purchasing needs of the various City departments. Comm. Helmboldt stated the AMSA municipalities recently discussed joint purchasing opportunities. 4. Update PulverDryer Ms. Eichorst stated final installation is expected in the next year, noting the pilot project will be started sooner. Ms. Houser noted a resolution at the prior meeting approved a contract with an engineering firm to help with the project. New Business 1. Workgroup report – 2  Ms. Anderson stated Margaret from the forest group contacted Kellogg’s requesting they change their usage of palm oil, noting it is devastating the rainforest that is the habitat of several animals, including the Sumatran tiger population. 2. Promotion of Committee a. Facebook – Mr. Gibson created a Facebook page for the committee. b. Posting Notice – Mr. Helmboldt agreed to create an informational flyer for the Market Plaza. c. News Column – Mr. Simmons recommended the committee’s purpose be included with the recyclables compactor when contacting the Battle Creek Shopper News. d. Commission Meetings – Comm. Helmboldt stated he regularly updates the City Commission of the committee’s recommendations. e. Water Billing – Ms. Antaya stated she has not yet contacted Sue McBride concerning water billing inserts. 3. Waste Management Contract Ms. Eichorst stated Waste Management has recommended the City change from recycling bins to carts/totes, noting this might increase usage. Ms. Eichorst stated the use of the carts would allow for a 10 year extension of the contract, noting an ordinance change would need to be approved to allow the collection of recyclables to bi-weekly. Ms. Eichorst noted there would be a 3% annual price increase every year for the next 10 years. Ms. Eichorst stated Waste Management would also be implementing compressed gas fueled trucks. Ms. Eichorst stated she had concerns with the promotion of the new carts, noting Waste Management would help with promotion. Ms. Eichorst noted that the City of Grand Rapids had a “Pay as you Throw” policy, which provided an incentive for residents to reduce waste. Comm. Helmboldt stated he wanted to know if residents have experienced a 3% increase in refuse charges every year. Mr. Myszka noted his concern was the reduction of service to bi-weekly instead of weekly, noting the recyclables may produce irritating smells if the recyclables are not cleaned properly. Mr. Myszka also expressed a concern that the resident be charged a replacement fee if someone takes their tote. Ms. Anderson expressed a concern that residents would be unsure of the pick-up dates. Mr. Simmons stated he would be supportive of encouraging residents to reduce waste, while promoting recycling; stating he felt the City should look at an option similar to Grand Rapids’ “Pay as you Throw” policy. Mr. Myszka expressed a concern that larger families may be penalized as they generate more waste. Ms. Kosmowski noted the residents could be provided an option for smaller containers at a lower cost instead of the larger containers. Mr. Myszka questioned how they would prevent non recyclables from entering the system. 3  Ms. Eichorst stated Waste Management agreed to come to a meeting to discuss the conversion to totes and the waste compactor at the Farmer’s Market. Mr. Simmons recommended the local Fire Stations provide a drop off location for battery and CFC collections. Ms. Eichorst recommended a utility bill stuffer to let people know that the Fire Stations had drop locations for battery and CFC collection. Ms. Kosmowski recommended giving people battery collection boxes along with the calendar. A motion was made by Chris Simmons, supported by Mike Myszka, to make a recommendation to the City Commission to amend the refuse ordinance to include bi-weekly pick up of recyclables, to include new recycling totes and a 10 year contract renewal, strongly recommending this also include a volume based incentive for refuse disposal. The committee discussed their concerns with the motion, stating they would like to wait until they received additional information from Mr. Kohs and Waste Management. Ms. Kosmowski recommended the committee postpone the vote until further information was obtained. A motion was made by Mr. Simmons, supported by Mr. Myszka, to postpone the previous motion to a special meeting on November 13, 2013 at 4:00 PM. All yes, none opposed. Motion approved. Mr. Gibson stated the City of Grand Rapids had a microchip in each receptacle identifying each address, thereby knowing whether the resident put the container out for pick up. Comm. Helmboldt stated the Commission may expect the City to put the collection out to bid if there was a 10 year contract. Member Comments/Announcements Ms. Eichorst announced the River clean-up was on Saturday, October 5, 2013 at Bailey Park, noting registration begins at 8:30. Next Meeting The Committee agreed to meet Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at 4:00 PM in Room 302A. Adjournment Ms. Antaya adjourned the meeting at 5:54 PM. 4