AGENDA #4L

 

MEMORANDUM

 

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            Commercial Waste Reduction Task Force

                        Council Member Joyce Brown

                        Mayor pro tem Lee Pavăo

                        Council Member Jim Ward

 

SUBJECT:       Waste Reduction Pilot Program

 

DATE:             September 24, 2001

 

The attached resolution would ask the Town’s Solid Waste Advisory Board members to present to the Advisory Board and ultimately the County Board of Commissioners a plan for a pilot program to reduce waste in the commercial solid waste sector and to seek funding as needed to defray costs of the program.

 

BACKGROUND

 

During Council work sessions on the Fiscal Year 2001 – 2002 budget, the Council appointed a task force including Council Members Joyce Brown, Lee Pavăo and Jim Ward to attempt to develop a pilot program that would reduce the amount of waste produced in the commercial sector of the town. 

 

The Task Force has developed a plan for a pilot program that would respond to the Council’s direction.  The intention of the program is to identify methods for businesses to use to reduce the amount of waste they produce and perhaps, ultimately, to reduce their liability for fees under the new fee schedule adopted by the Council this year.

 

DISCUSSION

 

The proposed pilot program would include the following elements:

 

  1. Restaurant recycling – we suggest that up to 6 restaurants could be involved in recycling food waste and glass and cans (containers).  These efforts would be added to the existing County recycling programs for food waste and containers.  The attached draft letter from the County staff to the Downtown Commission and Chamber of Commerce describes these programs in greater detail.  One issue that would need to be addressed is the question of cost for additional collections.  The County staff has said any additions to the program would exceed the County’s current budget for food waste and container collection.  We address the issue of funding below.

 

  1. Multi-family recycling – the management of at least one apartment complex has volunteered to work with us and the County staff to introduce an enhanced level of multi-family recycling to its complex.  This enhanced program could include additional collection of materials already collected in multi-family recycling programs; targeted tenant education about waste reduction and a possible new program for collecting mixed paper.  We do not anticipate significant additional costs associated with this element of the program.

 

  1. Other commercial site –  the staff could select a building or complex that would agree to participate in a recycling program that would target office paper, especially mixed paper.  Other materials could be added if a waste audit by County recycling staff was conducted and an appropriate collection opportunity identified.  We believe that this program will not incur additional costs.

 

Implementation

 

If the Council agrees with this mix of services and target businesses, the staff would proceed to work with local business community representatives to identify possible participants.  The staff met with representatives of the Downtown Commission and Chamber of Commerce to solicit their input into the program and ask their assistance in locating likely participants in the program.  The representatives of these two groups agreed to help in identifying possible participants and in publicizing the pilot. 

 

We suggest that the Council ask the Town’s representatives to the Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB) to discuss the program with the whole Board with the idea of carrying the program to the County Commissioners to seek their support with funding. 

 

Once the participants are identified and funding is resolved, services would begin.

 

Costs and Funding

 

The County staff has indicated that adding restaurants to their commercial recycling programs for glass and cans and food waste would require additional funding.  The cost is estimated to be about $3,000 annually.  The other recommended services could be added without additional direct cost. 

 

The Manager has indicated that there are not budgeted funds available to pay for the pilot program additions.  We believe that it would be appropriate for the County to fund this program, as it is consistent with the overall goal of waste reduction and the County is the lead entity in the process of meeting the reduction goal.  In addition, to date all recycling services have been funded through the County’s recycling program and we think it appropriate for the County to do likewise with this pilot program.  Thus, we suggest that the SWAB recommend funding from the County Commissioners.

 

If the Commissioners decline to fund the program, the Manager could attempt to find the funds within the existing Town operating budget.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution, approving the recommended pilot program and requesting that the Town’s representatives on the Solid Waste Advisory Board ask the SWAB to support the program and recommend that the County Commissioners authorize funding for it.

 

A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MANAGER TO PROCEED WITH A PILOT PROGRAM FOR WASTE REDUCTION IN THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR OF THE TOWN AND REQUESTING THE SOLID WASTE ADVISORY BOARD TO PURSUE FUNDING WITH THE ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS (2001-09-24/R-8.1)

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Manager to proceed with detailed planning and implementation of a pilot program for waste reduction in the commercial sector as outlined in the report of the Commercial Waste Reduction Task Force.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests that the Town’s representatives to the County Solid Waste Advisory Board ask the Solid Waste Advisory Board to recommend that the Orange County Commissioners provide necessary funding for the pilot program.

 

This the 24th day of September, 2001.