HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-02-13 Solid Waste Advisory Committee MinutesSolid Waste Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes
February 13,2002
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Members Present: Keith Becker, Bob Brown, Mary Ellen Becker, Susan Giacalone
Staff Liaison: Ted McIntire
1. Meeting called to order at 7:40. Mary Ellen Becker was appointed recorder. Minutes of the
January meeting were corrected and approved as corrected.
2. Ted's report - A check for $4,831 was received from MRIP for Phase I of fiscal year '02.
We met only the standard level of compliance due to a drop in tonnage. Mike O'Halloran
will attend a Phase II meeting and we are hopeful that Reading will meet advance level in
Phase II. MRIP will be holding a meeting on Feb. 20 to discuss regulat6nchanges that will
effect fiscal '03. Reading should be receiving 500 "Junk Mail Reduction" kits. They will be
made available at Town Hall when they are received. Finally, budget cuts were discussed.
Compost hours will be reduced from the Parks and Forestry budget amounting to $5400
cut. It was decided to eliminate leaf and Xmas tree curbside pickup, bulk waste week and
to stop providing free recycling bins. A total deduction in the budget of $17,500 was
achieved. Ted is considering contacting the retailers to sell bins at their stores with store
logo on them
3. Earth Day Plans - Susan is working on the decorated paper bags. She has contacted
Joshua Eaton. Bob volunteered to contact Birch Meadow. It was discussed to contact
Atlantic; Sense of Wonder, and Johnson's Hardware to see if they would like decorated
bags. Joan has the Library display idea but was not in attendance. Mary Ellen had made
calls to all the sports groups looking for volunteers and had already received positive
response. It was suggested that Mary Ellen also contact Girl Scout/Boy Scout troops and
the schools in the area to see if any help could be provided. Mary Ellen will look into
posting a banner on the High School fence for the Earth day event. Keith will work up a
flier and contact Sense of Wonder and Wayside Bazaar for riffle donations. Ted will see if
he can come up with tickets for the raffle. We discussed letting the deposit bottles go
home with the volunteers.
4. Ads are currently running on TV for reclaiming mercury thermometers by local
Pharmacies.
5. Bob Brown will be presented with an award in March for his recycling efforts.
6. Workshop information - Bob attended a Hazardous Products Forum at a meeting in
Marlboro. One interesting comment from a U. Lowell educator questioned when recycling
does the material end up in an acceptable market. Bob Brown is interested in finding and
getting the word out about virtual tour of facilities that handle solid waste. A toxic Action
conference will be held on March 16. A "Community Based Social Marketing Workshop"
will be held on March 15.
7.. The meeting adjourned at 9:10.