HomeMy WebLinkAbout08.23.18 SWAC Minutes
JEFFERSON COUNTY
SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SWAC)
MEETING MINUTES – Thursday, August 23, 2018
Jefferson County Public Works Building, Conference Room
OPENING BUSINESS
Meeting called to order at 3:00 pm by Bart Kale, Chair
Welcome and Opening Comments – Tom Boatman, Solid Waste Manager
Tom welcomed everyone commenting being glad to be back in the PW Office Building,
Introductions – Bart Kale, SWAC Chair
Committee Members Present:
Bart Kale, Citizen-at-Large Lisa Crosby, District #1
Carol Cummins, District #1 Jenifer Taylor, District #2
Glenn Gately, County Conservation District Dave Zeller, City of Port Townsend
Alysa Russell, Skookum Contract Chad Young, Waste Connections
Governance Members
Kathleen Kler, County Commissioner – Absent
Kate Dean, County Commissioner - Present
Staff Present:
Tom Boatman, Public Works SW Manager Jerry Mingo, Public Works MRW Coordinator
Chris Spall, Public Works Support Staff Laura Tucker, Public Health, Education
Guests
Brian Tate - Waste Connections, Greg Lanning - City of Port Townsend Public Works Director; Tracy
Grisman - Citizen, Maartje Peters - Intern to Kate Dean
Quorum Determination: There is a quorum.
Approval Minutes – July 26, 2018: Carol moved and was seconded to approve with corrections discussed.
Motion carried.
Correspondence: None received.
NEW BUSINESS
Manager’s Report – Tom Boatman
Tom presented County financial information on recycling, showing graphs of commodity sales income,
variable pricing, and recycling operation costs. In the recycling contract, Skookum receives about $11.09/ton
from County tipping fees to operate, plus all revenue from sale of each type material (commodity) recovered.
Skookum is a nonprofit company so the amount from the County added to the amount from the sale of
recyclables over time has to provide enough funds for Skookum to operate (break-even) within the contract.
The average current commodities ‘Gap’ is $6.14/ton which shows Skookum is not receiving enough revenue
to “break even” as a result of low commodity prices at this time. This condition is the direct result of collapse
of China markets. Question was asked if there is any way to separately finance recycling and response was
that Kitsap now has a surcharge to cover recycling. It is in everyone’s best interest to make recycling work.
Recycling Program Reports
Alysa Russell, Skookum – Stockpile exceedance at the Recycling Center has been corrected at last due to
finding recycling buyers. Last load of mixed paper stockpile leaving yard today, Tin, Aluminum, Plastic
(TAP) stockpiles are gone. Mixed paper remains a negative commodity. Here, a “negative commodity”
means the material is sold to a recycling buyer but at a price below what is necessary for Skookum to “break
even” for that sale. Skookum is having to pull out “browns” at the Recycling Center to be able to market
mixed paper at all. Here “browns” include brown bags and food boxes (dry food packaging). Markets for
mixed paper and all plastics except clean and pure high and low-density polyethylene (milk cartons and
containers that the neck is smaller than base) remain unstable. Some discussion about separate tin (all metal
containers) and plastic collection bins at County drop off sites. Skookum, Jerry and Laura are working
together on a public outreach program to educate the public about contamination to increase the value of our
products in the recycling market to maintain our recycling program.
Chad Young, Waste Connections, DM/Olympic – Reported mixed paper generally selling at negative $46/ton
for Waste Connections.
Laura Tucker, Solid Waste Educator – Preparing for education outreach campaign to reduce contamination of
our recyclables including: - flyers to be passed out and mailed, people at recycling drop off locations, is
suggesting “oops” tags for direct feedback for Port Townsend curbside collection and working with Jerry on
general advertising. Volunteers are being sought to help presentation in County Schools and for
contamination reduction education at drop-off locations around the County.
Jerry Mingo, MRW Coordinator – For the outreach campaign, updating recycling flyer to reflect changes in
recycling, and include important “reduce contamination” messages. Creating recycle boards with examples
to be placed at all recycle drop off locations. to indicate in a new object attention grabbing way what goes
where and what is not accepted.
Committee Discussion
Greg Lanning. Question was asked about the new big belly containers recently installed in downtown Port
Townsend that appear to have replaced the recycling drop off center recently removed. Greg responded that
ten sites have the new two unit containers – one recycling and one for trash. The new solar powered units
compact trash or recycling, which reduces the number of times they need to be emptied. Laura asked about
glass collection not being included? Not at this time, right now limited to one container for plastic and
aluminum containers being collected in those bins as sort of a pilot program approach. Laura asked if
students could do waste audit to see how much glass is going in to the trash containers because of this and
commented the Student’s bottle bill could help solve the problem. Greg committed to working with Laura.
Laura commented that a letter of support from SWAC and the BOCC would help with getting the bill passed.
Bart asked when education outreach campaign will start and several Committee members voiced support to
start it soon. Tom stated funding is available and encouraged an early start. Carol agreed with Bart that
contamination needs to be addressed now, and not wait. Jerry thanked Laura for her efforts with event
recycling and projected the decontamination outreach program will be underway in September and October.
Adjournment
At 4:30 pm, Bart Kale called for the meeting to be adjourned. Jenifer also asked that the meeting be
adjourned and Lisa seconded the motion, and all were in agreement. Tom reminded everyone that the next
meeting will be October 25th.