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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes for January, March, and April 2025 SWAC meetings Jefferson County, Washington State Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) Meeting Minutes Regular Meeting, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Public Works Office, 623 Sheridan St., Port Townsend, WA Hybrid Meeting Audio and video recordings posted under Meeting Recordings on this website https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/483/Solid-Waste-Advisory-Committee Opening Business Meeting agenda posted on website on January 16, 2025. 1. Call to Order and Roll Call – Tracy Grisman, Chair Committee Members Present for Roll Call: Heidi Eisenhour, County Commissioner Tracy Grisman, Chair & District #1 Don Rhoden, District #2 Steve Chappuis, District #2 Phil Sonne, Citizen-at-Large Rebecca Jewell, Citizen-at-Large Joey Deese, Waste Connections Glenn Gately, Conservation District Committee Members Absent Tim Deverin, District #3 Alysa Thomas, Skookum Site Manager Steve King, City of Port Townsend Pete Hanke, Port of Port Townsend Staff Present Al Cairns, Public Works Solid Waste Manager Laura Tucker, Public Works Solid Waste Education and Outreach Chris Spall, Public Works Support Staff Guests/Visitors included: Lacy Kooiman, WA State Dept. of Ecology; and Blake Nelson, WA State Dept. of Ecology. There is a quorum. 2. Public Comment was given on: • Contamination of recycling at Quilcene Drop Box seems to be an education issue. Why a strong push for curb-side services? Quilcene facility is important to south county residents. Waste Connections does not provide a solution for all south county residents. • Increase in minimum fee to $20 doesn’t seem to have had the desired effect. Guess a windfall revenue being experienced, because same number of customers showing up but now they’re paying twice as much for the minimum fee. Closing recycling drop boxes will lead to half of the county residents who don’t have curbside service throwing their recycling in the garbage. Anyone who wants it and can get curbside service have done it by now. You need to rethink closing recycling drop boxes. 3. Approval/correction of 09/26/2025 meeting minutes. Motion to approve minutes made by Phil and seconded by Glen. The motion carried to approve the minutes as written. 4. Staff report -Discussions on the Managers Update document included: • Under “Effect of Minimum Fee Increase,” the last column in the table should have been labeled “% Reduction over 2023.” Doubling minimum fee to $20 has not reduced the number of under minimum weight loads as much as was hoped. There has been a 16% drop in the number of vehicles dropping off trash. It would take a significant increase in the minimum fee to reduce the number of these loads coming in. Options for curbside garbage service through Waste Connections are 35, 64, or 96-gallon carts with once a week, bi-weekly, or once a month pick up. Also 1 yard (equals two 96-gallon carts) and 2-yard dumpsters, as well as roll off dumpsters for big projects. Mixed cart recycling would include: tin, aluminum, plastic, cardboard, and mixed paper. Glass would be separate. Co-mingling glass contaminates paper as they can’t be separated if the glass breaks, as it most often does • Under “Legislative Update,” HB 1071 calls for more studies to figure out what the problem is with recycling. It would mean a deeper look by a consultant firm to tell us what we already know and just kicks the can down the road. The Dept. of Ecology’s CROP (Contamination and Reduction Outreach Plan) collected this data statewide. The real solution is HB 1150. It builds on current programs but also places fiscal responsibility on people profiting from single-use containers. Hopefully it has a better chance of passing. The bottle bill has not been re-introduced. No appetite for what appears to be a new tax, even though it is not a tax. Bottle bill would be complementary to HB 1150. Zero Waste Washington’s website https://zerowastewashington.org/ provides information on legislative updates including upcoming votes on Bills. 5. Old Business: (none) 6. New Business. a. SWMP update/SWAC meeting schedule Al and Laura will lead the process of updating the SWMP. To allow them time for this work, Al recommended SWAC regular meetings be held quarterly on the fourth Thursday of January, April, July, and October, instead of the current six times per year schedule. And, meetings would be two hours instead of 90 minutes starting at 3PM. Changing the meeting schedule requires revising section “11 Regular Meeting Schedule” of the SWAC Bylaws. Al also recommended SWAC consider striking section “21 Record of the Meetings of the SWAC” from the Bylaws. This section requires meetings be electronically recorded by audio or video. The OPMA does not require meetings be electronically recorded. Requiring recordings could lead to possible OPMA issues if there is a technical glitch or if the recording does not start when the meeting begins. Meeting minutes would be made available online. A show of hands was taken for those in favor of the recommended revision in the bylaws for the meeting schedule for this coming year. All 8 members in attendance raised their hands in favor of revising the meeting schedule in the By-Laws. A show of hands was taken for those in favor of the revisions of the Bylaws concerning not recording the meetings and meeting minutes be posted online. Five members raised their hands in favor of the revision, two were against it, and one abstained. Staff said they would reconsider this recommendation. b. Low-income curbside rate proposal – There was discussion about this proposal which was referred to in the Recycling Service Revision/Low-Income Tariff Rate Memorandum. This would be the first ever UTC rate of its type in the state to provide a low-income discount (don’t know yet how much.) Looking at using either Assessor’s Office list of low-income seniors or PUD’s list of low-income residents. Both the UTC and Ecology are in favor of this program. SWAC’s comments included a recommendation that the PUD list be used for this Program. A show of hands was taken for those in favor of this low-income discount program, and 7 members raised their hands. Al asked the SWAC if they considered this to be a minor revision or a major revision of the SWMP. Public Works considers it to be a minor revision as it is already mentioned in the current SWMP. A show of hands was taken for those in favor of it being considered a minor revision. All 8 members raised their hands in favor of considering it to be a minor revision to the SWMP. c. Ancillary functions discussion (30 min.) There was discussion about the Task Force Recommended Functions table. The highlighted elements had the highest rate of support. Food waste composting could be done at the current Transfer Station site but not at the new facility due to the amount of space it would take up d. Sustainability Stars update (5 mins.) Waiting on webpage creation. Maybe February to launch the program. 7. Presentation on the work of Chris Jordan – “Running the Numbers” Tracy shared Chris Jordan’s Art Works for Change website https://www.artworksforchange.org/portfolio/chris-jordan/ and talked about some of the art work on the website made from trash. 8. Partner Updates: a. Artist in Residency (AIRE) program - Tracy talked about the art piece Margie McDonald created. The application process for a new Artist in Residence is open until March 23. b. Skookum – Alysa Thomas was absent, so no update. c. Waste Connections/Olympic Disposal – No other updates than the low-income discount program discussed earlier in the meeting. d. City of Port Townsend solid waste/recycling/composting – No one in attendance, so no updates. 9. Future Agenda Items – Suggestions for guest speakers. Meeting adjourned at 4:30 pm.. Next Meeting Date: 2025 Regular Meetings Thursday, January 23 April 24 July 24 October 23 December 4 Jefferson County, Washington State Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) Meeting Minutes Joint Special Meeting with Jefferson County Board of Commissioners Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 9:00 a.m. Jefferson County Courthouse – Commissioners’ Chambers 1820 Jefferson Street, Port Townsend, WA Hybrid Meeting Audio and video recordings posted under Meeting Recordings on this website https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/483/Solid-Waste-Advisory-Committee Opening Business Meeting agenda posted on website on March 18, 2025. 9:00 a.m. Call to Order and Roll Call – Tracy Grisman, Chair SWAC Members Present for Roll Call: Heidi Eisenhour, County Commissioner Alysa Thomas, Skookum Site Manager Tracy Grisman, Chair & District #1 Bliss Morris, City of Port Townsend Don Rhoden, District #2 Steve Chappuis, District #2 Phil Sonne, Citizen-at-Large Rebecca Jewell, Citizen-at-Large Joey Deese, Waste Connections Sierra Young, Conservation District SWAC Members Absent Pete Hanke, Port of Port Townsend Public Works Staff Present Al Cairns, Public Works Solid Waste Manager Chris Spall, Public Works Support Staff Justin Miskell, Public Works Solid Waste Coordinator Guests/Visitors included: Commissioners Greg Brotherton and Heather Dudley-Nollette, Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners; and Lacy Kooiman, WA State Dept. of Ecology There is a quorum of both SWAC and BoCC. 1. Public Comment included: The continued need and demand for the Quilcene Drop Box facility for rural residents and curbside service does not really work for the rural residents. 2. Meeting Introduction – Heidi Eisenhour. The purpose of the meeting is to dig into some fairly large issues from Solid Waste, to entertain questions and ideas on these issues, and for the SWAC and BoCC to give direction on what path Solid Waste staff should take on these issues. Al Cairns gave a slide presentation on the three discussion and potential action items on the meeting agenda. There are three pressing issues Public Works staff want direction on how to resolve: 1. Should a capital surcharge be added to the current tipping fee to pay for much needed facility improvements? 2. When the current recycling contract ends (March 31, 2026) should residential recycling services be privatized and offered as curbside collection with payment made directly to the service provider? 3. Should $6 be added to the current tipping fee to fund transport of glass to Oregon for recycling? 3. Discussion and Potential Action re: Capital funding needs. Slides and discussion on this topic included: • Solid Waste an enterprise fund operation. 99.6% of revenue from garbage disposal fees. 0% comes from taxes. • Triple bottom line: Financial Health, Social Responsibility, and Environmental Stewardship • Financial health mentioned once in the Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) in Chapter 1 Goals. • Doing well on Social responsibility: Maintained fee at CPI; Self-financed with no debt; Employment for individuals with IDD; Low-income discount. • Doing well on Environmental Stewardship: Over 50% recycling rate, Close to state organics diversion goal; Financial support of Public Health’s illegal dumping program; HHW collection events and Kitsap County ILA; Grazing goats instead of herbicides at closed landfill site. • Not doing well on Financial Health: Equipment Reserve (Capital) fund balance should be 25% of current capital (equipment and buildings) replacement value, and Operations fund balance should be 25% of projected annual solid waste operation expenditures. • For 2025, operation expenditures projected to exceed revenues, and Capital Fund $1.8 million under target fund balance and estimated to grow to $3.6 M under if considering all capital needs. • Capital needs include: Replace failing scales (critical), tarping rack, asphalt on upper and lower lots, tipping floor building roof, tipping floor leachate drain tank, and knuckle-boom crane replacement. • How to pay for it all and who pays it? Staff recommends adding a capital surcharge to the tipping fee that would go directly to the capital fund. • Building new facility realistically 10 years out. $3.6 million would make current facility work until new facility is built. 4. Discussion and Potential Action re: Recycling program. Slides and discussion on this topic included: • Why is it subsidized? Starting in 1971 recycling ad campaigns began using messaging that consumers are responsible for proper disposal of single use packaging. Municipalities and Counties ended up bearing burden for recycling, not manufacturers. • How much are we subsidizing it? $13.89 is the per ton Tipping Fee Subsidy. • Should it be subsidized? EPR or bottle bills may not pass this year but it is the future. • SWMP goals in order of priority: reduce waste, promote reuse, and recycle. • 2024 spending allocations, as a measure of reaching these goals, show $326,000 was spent on recycling, whereas only $108,000 was spent on first two goals combined. • Contamination rates higher despite spending more on contamination reduction • Continue with tipping fee subsidized recycling or move to privatization? • Continuing with the status quo means discontinuing: Food waste diversion, low income discount, IDD employment, illegal dumping subsidy, Quilcene Drop Box facility, HHW events, Solid Waste education. • Privatizing recycling starts with a DRAFT minimum level of service ordinance or resolution outlining the service the UTC hauler would offer. The hauler takes the ordinance or resolution to the UTC for rates to be set. • Estimate that percentage of customers in the county subscribing to curbside collection would double. Clallam switched from sort separated to single stream and participation rate went from 23% to over 50% and volumes increased significantly. Curbside recycling would cut the queue in the line at the Transfer Station. Propose offering recycling option past the scales for customers who can’t get curbside service. • Do we want to privatize at end of current contract on 4/1/2026? Will hold a workshop to discuss what SWAC and BoCC want to do. 5. Discussion and Potential Action re: Glass to Portland • Portland only outlet accepting glass now. Seattle markets are gone. • Looking at a $6 tipping fee increase to send glass to Portland. • Staff recommends waiting for a bottle bill instead of burdening customers with increase in tipping fee. Glass is inert and doesn’t harm environment when landfilled. • Tipping fee increase doesn’t make sense, it masks the fact that recycling is not free. • Grind glass into sand? Real sand is cheap so pulverizing glass doesn’t compete cost-wise with sand. • AT WSAC • Heidi called for a joint vote of the SWAC and BoCC in favor of accepting the staff recommendation which reads “Public Works recommends against increasing the tipping fee to fund glass recycling and for continued advocacy from the BoCC WSAC Legislative Steering Committee representative for a bottle bill such as the current HB 1607 to gain a long-term viable regional market for glass.” Greg seconded the motion, and all voted in favor of the motion. It passed unanimously. SWAC and BoCC agreed that they would like to hold an additional meeting to further discuss capital funding needs and privatizing recycling. Al Cairns will work with Carolyn on possible meeting dates for another joint special meeting of the SWAC and BoCC. Meeting adjourned at 11 a.m. Jefferson County, Washington State Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) Meeting Minutes Joint Special Meeting with Jefferson County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 1:00 p.m. Jefferson County Courthouse – Commissioners’ Chambers 1820 Jefferson Street, Port Townsend, WA Hybrid Meeting Audio and video recordings posted under Meeting Recordings on this website https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/483/Solid-Waste-Advisory-Committee Opening Business Meeting agenda posted on website on April 21, 2025. 1:00 p.m. Call to Order and Roll Call – Tracy Grisman, Chair SWAC Members Present for Roll Call: Heidi Eisenhour, County Commissioner Tracy Grisman, Chair & District #1 Steve Chappuis, District #2 Phil Sonne, Citizen-at-Large Steve King, City of Port Townsend Joey Deese, Waste Connections Sierra Young, Conservation District Kimberlie Webber, Port of Port Townsend SWAC Members Absent Don Rhoden, District #2 Rebecca Jewell, Citizen-at-Large Alysa Thomas, Skookum Site Manager Public Works Staff Present Al Cairns, Solid Waste Manager Chris Spall, Admin Staff Laura Tucker, Solid Waste Educator Guests/Visitors included: Commissioners Greg Brotherton and Heather Dudley-Nollette, Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners There is a quorum of SWAC members. 1. Public Comment included: • Provide more info than just the agenda prior to meetings • Proposal to move the recycling across the scales will increase traffic and make things worse. • Consider leaving recycling as is and raising the tipping fee to pay for it 2. Meeting Introduction – Al Cairns brought up a slide presentation on the screen and talked about the content 3. Discussion and Potential Action re: Capital funding needs. Slides and discussion on this topic included: • We can’t continue offering the current level of service and deferring the capital repairs and replacements needed at the Transfer Station • The level of service at our Transfer Station is the same or better than King County’s: o We accept more material types for disposal and recycling o King County’s per ton fee is $203 while ours is $171 o King County has 517 employees whereas we have 13 • We have delivered this level of service by deferring capital repairs & replacement. At the end of 2025 the capital fund will have approximately $453,000 but capital needs will be $4,187,00 • We need to change course. Staff recommends: o Increasing the per ton fee from $171 to $187 o Privatize recycling, which will save approximately $326,000 a year in recycling subsidies from the tipping fee. • Without the changes temporary closures due to equipment failure will impact service Discussion included: • Easy to get behind increasing tipping fee to cover deferred capital repairs. • Increasing fee to cover full cost of recycling and delaying privatizing recycling. • Fee increase of $15 (surcharge) is proposed to take effect August 1, 2025 • Solid Waste applying for loan from Public Works Board Motion made by Heidi to adopt a resolution for a capital surcharge on the per ton tipping fee rate effective August 1, 2025 and SWAC recommends that to the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC). Phil Sonne seconded the motion. Vote on the motion was unanimous by all SWAC members present. 4. Discussion and Potential Action re: Recycling program. Discussion on this topic included: • How would privatizing recycling work? Customers get a 96-gallon bin for curbside pickup, collected material baled at the facility, bales go to Pioneer MRF in Tacoma for material to be separated, and from there materials goes to market. Single-stream system, except for glass. It would be identical to what is offered in Clallam. In Mason County garbage and recycling services are bundled, which drives down the pickup cost. Garbage collection customers who also pay for curbside recycling is just 17% in Jefferson County and 51% in Clallam County. • Extending the current recycling program beyond April 1, 2026 when the current contract ends requires an RFP or a contract extension. • Solid Waste staff recommends privatizing recycling as of April 1, 2026. Heidi called for a motion to be made for SWAC to recommend to the Board of County Commissioners. that we privatize the recycling program effective April 1, 2026. Steve Chappuis moved and Phil seconded the motion. Discussion on the motion included: • A low-income discount rate for curbside recycling. • PUD could notify its low-income customers about discounted curbside recycling services. • Waste Connections works with customers to find an alternative pick up location if there is difficulty in getting a truck to their residence. • Plan now to educate community and summer tourists about the change. Use PUD billing inserts and Waste Connection emails to customers to get the word out. • The change will have cost impacts on the City of Port Townsend’s curbside collection program, Steve needs to discuss with City Council first, so he will not vote on this today. • Currently, no cost-effective solution nearby for glass recycling. Cheaper to dispose of it and less impact on the environment. A bottle bill will solve problem. Public comment on the motion included: Item being taken up for a vote that is on the agenda but no background information provided about this prior to the meeting. Vote on the motion: All voted in favor except Steve King, who abstained. Motion carried. SWAC members and staff interested in working on the recycling change education campaign: Tracy, Laura, Heidi, Phil, Joey, and Kimberlie. SWAC meeting adjourned at 2:28 p.m.