TOWN OF
Solid Waste Advisory Committee
Minutes of the Meeting
September 24, 2009
Present: Knox (chair),
The
meeting was called to order at 7:36 p.m.
The
minutes of the June 30, 2009 were reviewed. December 4, 2008 had been reviewed
at the June meeting. Both June and December’s minutes will need to be approved
when there is a meeting quorum.
Walton reported that in
the beginning of September she participated in the Mansfield Community Campus
Partnership door-to-door introductions made to students living in off-campus
apartments and single-family homes. She also met with the student leaders who
work for UConn’s Off-Campus Student Services to review trash service and the
prevention of blight and litter. Through Off-Campus Student Services she is
seeking volunteers to adopt Hunting Lodge/North Eagleville Roads.
The Green Teens, from EO
Smith High School, are in the process of getting a compost bin built at EO
Smith so that a school composting program can start this school year. The
elementary and middle schools composting programs are back in operation with
the new school year.
Walton stated that there
is one outstanding citation for blight that happened at the end of the 2009
school year. To prevent blight, when Walton notices trash by the road after
trash collection day she immediately contacts the residents. Otherwise,
Walton stated that there
are about eighty 14-gallon recycling containers left in storage (standard
issue). Walton brought a 24-gallon sample recycling container for the
committee’s consideration. With recyclables now collected single stream, should
the Town offer larger recycling containers at cost? The committee decided that
since residents can use whatever container they have on hand and are not
required to use a Town-issued container, that it is not necessary to offer
recycling containers. Additionally, the committee thought the sample container
cost too much ($22) and needed wheels.
Walton reported that the
Festival on the Green generated 340 pounds of waste of which 88% or 297 pounds
were composted and recycled. The committee agreed that the town should start
working on a town low-waste event policy.
The UConn Give and Go
program will be coordinated by UConn Student Outreach this year. Walton will
help out with this move-out collection program again. Planning will begin in
November.
The committee was asked
to review the bag tag policy. When the Town first started using bag tags for
extra trash, new residents were given two free bag tags. This policy has been
mostly in disuse and inconsistently applied. The committee recommended to end
giving away free bag tags.
Walton reported that for
a two-week trial, cans and bottles were compacted at the transfer station. The
impetus for this pilot was to reduce the hauling fees by increasing the amount
hauled out of the transfer station. For two weeks, one of the two trash
compactors was used exclusively for bottles and cans. Although the compactor
increased the quantity per load hauled out of the transfer station (from 1.6
tons to 3.5 tons per haul), the logistics of using one compactor for cans and
bottles created a parking bottleneck. To eliminate this, a third compactor
would need to be added where the bottles and cans roll-off container is
currently located. This would involve running 3-phase power from Rte 89, which
at this time is cost prohibitive. The transfer station collection set-up for
now will remain unchanged.
Walton reported that the
sustainability committee is still in the process of getting organized. If there
is a SWAC member that would like to attend, the next meeting is November 4,
2009 at 7 pm.
Knox asked if the
committee wants to resume considering the issue of plastic bags, since the
proposed state law to charge 5 cents for retail bags did not pass this year.
Plastic bags will be included as an agenda item at the next meeting.
Bob Coughlin said that he
is interested in serving as a SWAC member. Staff will notify the Committee on
Committees.
The next meeting is
scheduled for November 19, 2009 in conference room C. The meeting was adjourned
at 9:03 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Virginia Walton
Recycling/Refuse Coordinator
Cc: Lon R. Hultgren, Director of Public Works,
Members, file, Town Manager, Town Clerk