Recycling Ad Hoc Committee

RECYCLING AD HOC COMMITTEE APRIL 13, 2021 4/ 13/ 2021 - Minutes 1. Declaration Of A Quorum And Call Meeting To Order Chair Joanie Steinhaus declared a quorum and called the meeting to order at 1: 02 p. m. 2. Roll Call Present ( via videoconference): Board Members Joanie Steinhaus, Cody Wright, Susan Syler, Dorothy Trevino, Dr. Jackie Cole, and David Fortenberry; Ex Officio Member William Schuster, City Council; Cindy Dewitt, Director of Administration and Sanitation; Scott Van Slyke, Recycling Department; Dan Buckley, Deputy City Manager; and Janelle Williams, City Secretary. Absent: Stephanie Vasut. 3. Consider Approval Of The December 8, 2020 Meeting Minutes. Susan Syler made a motion to approve the December 8, 2020 Meeting Minutes, with Cody Wright seconding the motion. Unanimously approved. 4. Public Comments ( Limited To Three Minutes Each) None. 5. Discussion And Possible Consideration Of The Following Items: A. How to effectively create an environment where residents and visitors have citywide access to recycling. City staff and committee members discussed the following items: What do we mean by citywide recycling? Would that include extending it to commercial businesses?; Cindy Dewitt reported on a previously discussed idea of a pilot program for bars and restaurants in the downtown area; Scott Van Slyke reported that big box stores have their own sustainability programs so smaller retailers would be the target for a pilot program; and one company on the island currently provides residential curbside recycling for approximately $ 16. 00 per month. B. How does the City effectively market and advertise its recycling facility? Staff reported on the following marketing efforts: the City is hosting some citywide cleanup events; staff is working on some educational videos for" Recycling - Did you know?" and on commodities and how they are stored; the first video will include the subject " How to recycle at the Recycling Center"; all will be posted on the city' s social media pages and the website; final disposition notices and a chart of successes and/ or opportunities will be posted on the website in their near future. The committee recommended sharing videos with the Park Board and www. gaiveston. com, possibly making some brochures for short term rental agencies to share with renters, and sharing recycling information with community groups and HOA' s on the island. C. What can the City do to make the facility more user friendly? The committee commented that city staff has already made some changes to make the current facility more user friendly. City staff reported on a possible new recycling center, contingent on the sale of some city owned land. If a new center is built, it would be nothing like the current facility. It would be on the same property but in a different location. Staff will share plans for the new site with the committee for their review. D. Understanding the facility will operate 5- 6 days a week during daylight hours, are some days and times better? Staff reported that the center is currently open 7 days a week to the public but the city would like to alter hours and possibly close at 7: 00 PM. They are working on charting activity at the Recycling Center for the committee to review.  E. Curbside recycling would add $ 10 to people' s utility bills, is this figure still correct? Was it for single stream? Dual stream? Staff reported that the previous figure was $ 10. 00 per utility bill, and this figure has not been updated. Staff has not received any additional mandate from Council to do SO. 6. Request Agenda Items For Future Meetings Future agenda items: ( 1) adding an item to the list under Agenda Item # 5 to make a decision on extra drop off locations; ( 2) touring the current recycling center on April 27th; ( 3) a Park Board presentation at the May 11th meeting; ( 4) the possibility of meeting in- person; ( 5) what is the committee' s deliverable?; and ( 6) an update from Cindy and Scott at the next meeting on long and short term goals. 7. Schedule Future Meetings April 27th meeting will be a tour of the current recycling center. 8. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 2: 25 p. m. Uwe Janelle Williams, City Secretary Date Approved: June 8, 2021 h t t p s : / / w w w . g a l v e s t o n t x . g o v / 2 e 0 2 9 8