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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-04-14 Solid Waste Advisory Committee MinutesSolid Waste Advisory Committee 14 April 1999, Arnold Berger Room, Town Hall Present at meeting: (members) Bob Brown, Jennifer Culbert (after 7:40 p.hi., , eari. Krogh, Anne Mark, Lynda Zarrow; (associate member) Nate White; (staff) Ted McIntire (until 8:25 p.m.); (guest) Gina Snyder (Reading/North Reading Ipswich River Stream Team) Bob called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. The minutes of the March meeting were approved as corrected (5-0-0). Earth Day/Community Day (April 24) Because the compost center will be open to the public and because water treatment plant tours and town forest walks are planned for Earth Day/Community Day, parking may be a problem in that area on the 201. Ted will arrange to allow parking along one side of Strout Ave. and will figure out how to make sure people park on only one side. Recycling in schools A temporary in-house replacement for Jeff Griffin (facilities manager for the Reading public schools) has been appointed, but no permanent replacement has been hired yet. Cafeteria recycling in the schools will start after spring vacation. Waste Management will collect recyclables every Wednesday (rather than every other week as originally planned). Condominium trash and recyclables collection Ted hasn't heard from Schoolhouse Condos yet. One Charles Street set up a meeting but then canceled. Ted has talked with representatives at all the other condo complexes. Collection at some complexes has already started; two more will start.May 1. Dick Smith (a Summit Towers resident active in getting the Town to collect trash: and recyclables at the condos) told Ted that Summit Towers has been doing well with recycling. Nate mentioned rumors that some Town Meeting members may propose removing funds for condo trash and recyclable collection from the upcoming budget. Ted noted that FinCom had decided to keep it in the budget. Shed for collection of fluorescent bulbs The shed will be delivered at the end of April or beginning of May. It will be installed inside the stockade at the DPW garage area, near the waste oil collection site. On April 20 DPW staff members will attend a DEP training on how to handle mercury. Household hazardous waste collection The spring collection will be held on May 15., Residents can bring fluorescent bulbs to the collection. The bulbs won't be collected as part of the HHW contract; instead, Reading DPW staff will collect them and store them in the new shed. Reading trash regulations Ted provided a draft incorporating changes suggested by S WAC members. Members will go over this draft and make another round of comments for the May meeting. Municipal Recycling Incentive Program (MRIP) Reading will receive its full FY99 Phase 1 MRIP payment. As explained in a letter included in the SWAC packet for this meeting, "Earlier this year, Reading chose to purchase... consumer education mailers by deducting the $2,964 value of the mailers from the Town's payment from DEP's MRIP grant program. Since then, additional funds have become available to allow DEP to award this grant. Therefore, the $2,964 that was deducted from Reading's FY99 Phase 1 MRIP payment will be added back on to the Town's FY99 Phase 2 MRIP payment and DEP will pay for the cost of the mailers." Ted noted that the next MRIP application is due on May 15; he has met with Sharon Kishida, Reading's MRIP district representative, about the application. Committee membership Jackie Chipman and Anne, whose terms on the committee are up for reappointment, will be leaving the committee. (Jackie is moving to Seattle.) Ted believes that Kay Clark's term is also up for reappointment. Textile collection Anne reported that the March 27 collection of used textiles and leather goods, organized by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading and held at the DPW garage, brought in 6,581 pounds of materials (about 500 pounds more than the October 1998 collection). Computer collection Anne has written an article to publicize New England Computer Depot's offer to collect used computers and other computer system parts and either distribute them for reuse (if possible) or dispose of them. Ted has OK'd the article; Anne is waiting for an OK from Chris Rich at NE Computer Depot. The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m. P. Mkk.