TOWN OF MANSFIELD

Solid Waste Advisory Committee

Minutes of the Meeting

May 22, 2008

Present:  Smith, Knox, Ames, Hultgren (staff), Walton (staff)

The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m.

The minutes of the January 24, 2008 were approved.

Walton reported that the Mansfield Earth Day celebration on April 26, 2008 brought together a hundred or more people with an environmental interest. The bulb vendor sold out of compact fluorescent bulbs and the EO Smith green teens exchanged incandescent bulbs for fluorescent bulbs. The incandescent bulbs are going to be recycled by Northeast Lamp Recyclers. In preparation for the exchange, Walton learned that the base of the bulbs contain lead. Some brands have higher lead concentrations than others. Walton was asked to find out which brands have a higher lead content. The day could be seen as a success, although for the amount of time it takes to arrange an event, Walton recommended that the Clean Energy Team focus their energies on other programs, such as facilitating home energy audits. Hultgren talked about getting a grant for the housing inspectors to be trained to do home energy audits. Walton added that the clean energy team discussed offering home energy audits, like CL&P, where certain energy efficiency changes are made during the audit.

Walton stated that the compost bins for Vinton and Goodwin are being built and should be in place sometime next year. Southeast School and the Middle School are both functioning independently, without help from Walton.

The Connecticut legislative session ended with the bottle bill becoming completely changed and the single-stream bill being used by the anti-bottle bill lobby as the alternative to the bottle bill. Both bills died.

Hultgren reported that the Bergen Correctional Facility crew did some litter collection along the Hunting Lodge Road corridor. Although they have not been able to provide many days of service to the Town, they should help for another day or two. Public works summer help was hired three weeks earlier to do litter collection along the collector roads. Several residents came in for trash bags for Rid Litter Day (more than the usual 3 residents).

Walton reported that there were 50 people who signed up for and attended the composting workshop. This was the first workshop where there were no discounted compost bins available for residents, yet it was also one of the larger attended workshops.

Walton looked into the cost for unsorted alkaline batteries, which is $0.10 extra per pound. It was decided to continue sorting the batteries in order to avoid the extra cost. 

The next Festival on the Green is September 14, 2008. Walton is working with the festival committee to make some improvements in the trash sort – including early communication and guidance for interested exhibitors. This year environmental groups from UConn, the public schools and community will be asked to be in charge of one of the six waste stations. Help will be needed to set-up and take down the waste stations.

There is interest in the Town hosting the sale of rain barrels. It was suggest that staff look into arranging a group order.

Hultgren stated that the contract with SCRRRA to deliver municipal solid waste (MSW) to the Preston incinerator ends June 30, 2008. Willimantic Waste Paper, Covanta Energy, CRRA and Wheelabrator Technologies submitted proposals. Willimantic Waste Paper’s proposal is the best at $67.25 per ton of MSW. This will save the Town $4.75 per ton, or $11,400 per year, and also about $3,000 per year in hauling costs. A contract with Willimantic Waste Paper is being negotiated.

Walton reported that Cynthia Boyle, who works as maintenance staff for UConn’s Hilltop and Charter Oak Apartments, is interested in piloting a collection of unopened, non-perishable food for Food Share at the time of May move-outs. According to Cynthia, food from the pantry accounts for about one third of the waste at this time of the year. She has already worked out most of the arrangements, designing it to be simple and maintenance staff-friendly. Walton would like to work with Cynthia by offering this at one or more of the off-campus apartments for next year’s move-out.

Hultgren reported that the public works mechanics are unable to get parts to repair the 15-year old tub grinder. The options that are being looked into are getting used parts to fix it, which is estimated to cost about $15,000, hiring in a grinding service once a year which costs between $5,000 to $10,000, or replacing the tub grinder with a lend/lease arrangement for $11,000 per year.

The next meeting is scheduled for July 24, 2008.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Virginia Walton

Recycling/Refuse Coordinator

Cc: Lon R. Hultgren, Director of Public Works, Members, file, Town Manager, Town Clerk