Sanitary Disposal District Commission

City of Middletown SANITATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, May 28, 2024 Time: 5:00 PM Members Present: John Porter, Committee Member Stephan Allison, Committee Member Tom Goglia, Committee Member Ed McKeon, Committee Member Staff Present: Howard Weissberg, P.E., Acting Director of Public Works Kim O’Rourke- Recycling Coordinator 1. John Porter opens meeting at 5:05 PM. 2. Minutes – Ed McKeon made a motion to approve the minutes from the March meeting, Stephan Allison seconded. Motion passed, with one abstention from Tom Goglia. 3. Correspondence-none 4. Public Comment-none 5. New Business-none 6. Old Business a. Update on Sustainable Materials Grant: Kim O’Rourke updated the committee on the Sanitation District Survey; the survey is available online, a mailing went out including a letter from the Mayor, recycling information and information on where to purchase bags. The survey received nearly 300 responses, and the results are being compiled and should be ready in about a week. Kim O’Rourke reported that over the past month different stickers have been placed on carts, including Thank you stickers for people that have been participating and using the orange and green bags, the addresses of the people that received Thank you stickers will be placed in a raffle for a $100 gift card, warning stickers have been placed and carts have been left for people that are not in compliance on the streets without the alternate street parking. Kim O’Rourke will be meeting with Waste Zero to get an update on the data and to go over where we are and how the city would like to proceed. Discussion about criteria to make the determination on how to proceed, and considerations that Kim O’Rourke and Acting Director Howard Weissberg have been working on. Kim O’Rourke emphasized the goal of waste reduction, budget management, and the enforcement of the program. The committee discussed financial components of the program, including tipping fees, bag costs, additional labor and enforcement. Ed McKeon asked about political implications and Kim O’Rourke spoke to the considerations regarding political implications including reviewing the questionnaire results to see what people are saying, to review  criteria to determine the best path forward, what the city can argue, and how to review this with the council. b. Tom Goglia made a motion to move the meeting time back to 4:30pm, Stephan Allison seconded and all voted in favor. c. Discussion about new trash and recycling containers on Main Street. Tom Goglia asked about why they were replaced, and Acting Director Weissberg explained the difficulty of maintaining the “big bellies”, including downtown business complaints and maintaining cleanliness. New cans were purchased with ARPA funds and were chosen by Downtown Business District (DBD) members and City Staff. Ed McKeon suggested using orange bags for the trash, and Kim O’Rourke updated the Commission that the Sanitation supervisor is waiting for bags to arrive. Stephan Allison asked about costs associated with using the orange bags in the cans on Main Street and Kim O’Rourke stated that the City would pay the bag cost, not residents of the district. Discussion about cost of bags and financial concern for certain demographics, and options for subsidizing the cost. Acting Director Weissberg brought up the concern regarding what can be done across the city as a whole and Ed McKeon suggested expanding the program and making private haulers participate as well, Kim O’Rourke informed the committee that the city has the ability to enforce this, but it has to be done by an ordinance. John Porter emphasized that people should be educated on the use of the 33 gallon bags and utilizing the larger size to reduce their bag usage. Discussion regarding enforcement and fee collection and where funds will go, Kim O’Rourke said that it may need to be a fee of some sort and not a fine so that it can go back to the district and not in to the general fund. d. Recycling Coordinators Report: Contract for the food waste collection with the restaurants is expiring and they have issued a RFP and are in the process now of issuing a contract to continue the program. Kim O’Rourke passed out copies of guidelines that were approved by the Commission in 2018 and discussed updating them yearly. 7. Other a. Noise Complaint regarding trash collection by private haulers. Acting Director Weissberg updated the Commissioner’s regrading current ordinance, and solidifying what is allowed. The meeting adjourned at 6:14pm