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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-06-10 Business and Economic Development Committee Minutes Recycle Committee Minutes June 10, 2010 Persons Present: Jerry Hughes, Geoff Gratwick, Dana Wardwell, Monique Gautreau, Nick Bearce, Paul Lodgek, Kate Dickerson, Guest- Greg Edwards Call to Order: Councilor Gratwick called the meeting to order at 4:30 PM Revise Approve Agenda: The agenda was approved as written Minute Approval: The minutes from the May 2010 meeting were approved as written. Recycling Report: Dana reported that no checks had been received from the Maine Resource Recovery Association during the month of May and that the recycling report is unchanged from last month. Solid Waste Rubbish Collection RFP Status: Dana Wardwell informed the committee that BBI, (Blow Brothers Incorporated) had been selected as the trash hauling contractor and that final approval would be addressed at the next council meeting. Nick Bearce asked about the status of Brewer and Hermon and Dana mentioned that both Hermon and Brewer would be remaining with Pinetree. Kate Nickerson had questions about what would happen if we would recycle more regarding contract price. Dana answered by explaining that there would be no price difference under our current system. If Pay as you throw was initiated there would be a decrease in the contractual cost of picking up rubbish. Recycling RFP Status: Dana reported that if we were to go with a PAYT Single Stream program, Pinetree would receive that contact. Dana further explained that Single Stream would cost more due to the fact that there is no revenue return on single stream recyclables. A discussion between committee members focused on recycling in general. Geoff Gratwick facilitated discussion. Comments follow: • Nick feels that an outside advertising firm and or consultants should be used to inform the public about PAYT and or Single Stream. • Kate is hesitant to bring in a PR firm because of the expenses involved and believes that the committee could be used to educate and inform the public. • Kate requested that Dana provide details that directly relate to PAYT at the next meeting. • Monique and Nick feel that PAYT and Single Stream are not necessarily tied together. In other words, we could have a PAYT program and still collect sorted material at the curb. • Kate and Jerry both mentioned that Single Stream allows residents to recycle more materials than what we are recycling now. • Monique reminded the committee that composting can play a very large role in waste reduction and that composting should be included in any plan that is created to increase recycling volumes. • Greg Edwards, a student at UMO mentioned that Brewer and Abbott have already gone to the Single Stream concept and that as time goes on Bangor will continue to lose more recyclables to Single Stream and that processing cost will be higher as a result. • Committee members discussed how to best label the PAYT concept. General consensus of the committee was to present the concept as a user fee system and that a user fee promotes fairness. Nick compared PAYT to a water meter and suggested that people would understand the water meter concept. There was also discussion regarding how to present PAYT concept to the council. General consensus seemed to be to present the PAYT concept as a cost shift to residents that promotes fairness. • Paul Lodgek asked if there would be any money coming back to residents in a mill rate deduction as a result of PAYT. The assumption is that moneys would be returned. • Committee members were asked about what people should be brought in to continue the discussion about PAYT, Single Stream and other recycling options. Some people thought that civic groups and Bangor Citizens should be invited. Others thought that the educational community and local schools should participate. Some members felt that it was too early for continued efforts and suggested that we concentrate on getting council approval and moving forward after approval is given. • The question of who would receive free bags under a PAYT system was also mentioned. Committee members agreed that General Assistance would be the best agency to handle the distribution of free bags. Meeting Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned at approximately 5:45 PM.