HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-07-08 Solid Waste Advisory Committee MinutesSolid Waste Advisory Committee _
Wednesday, July 8, 1998 - Berger Room, Town Hall.
In attendance: (members) Bob Brown, Kay Clark, Jennifer Culbert (until 8:30), Anne ,
_i , - . of d.. vMark, Lynda Zarrow (arrived 7:45); (associate member) Nate White; (staff) t4
McIntire; (liaison from the Select Board) Sally Hoyt
Kay called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. We welcomed Nate White as our new
associate member. The minutes of the June meeting were approved as amended.
Sally suggested calling Town Meeting members to support the Fall Town Meeting
warrant article regarding trash collection at condominiums. The article narrowly failed at
Spring Town Meeting, and supporting calls might be helpful in passing it this fall.
By consensus, action on committee elections was postponed until the August meeting, when
more members will be present. Bob noted that he strongly believes in office turnover on
committees. If he were no longer chairing the committee, he would still attend outside meetings
and he offered to continue preparing the monthly meeting agenda.
The Town received a letter of congratulations about the recycling tonnage that it reported
in the first and second MRIP (Municipal Recycling Incentive Program) reporting periods.
Criteria for receiving MRIP payments in the third period haven't been finalized. Bob has
heard that the criterion relating to trash haulers may be softened.
Ted has received the FY 99 equipment grant application and recycling report card forms
from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Between the June and July SWAC meetings, no subcommittee meeting was held
regarding Fall Town Meeting actions.
Lynda noted that Carol Hughes is the new executive director for the Reading Chamber of
Commerce. Lynda will contact Carol to ask about involving Reading businesses in Mass.
Recycles Day activities (Nov. 15).
A Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) workshop will be held in Wilmington on July 15. Bob
and Kay and possibly Jennifer will attend. Bob noted that the organizers considered
using Reading as an example of a town that had discussed implementing PAYT but that
had decided it wasn't ready for the program. Kay talked with the coordinator for
Reading's MRIP district, Sharon Kishida, who is involved in planning the workshop; it
was decided that it would be better to have a representative from Reading at the
workshop to speak to the issue from the floor rather than having a representative on the
panel.
Lynda noted that Needham has implemented PAYT. Each household receives 10 free
bags. Residents have expressed some concern because the Needham Select Board voted
to implement PAYT but the residents didn't get to vote on it.
In addition to the ones listed on the agenda, the following meetings will occur:
informational meeting on municipal recycling grants and equipment grants (July 21),
informational meeting on MRIP (July 22), tour of Middleton's recently capped landfill
(July 22).
Jennifer obtained information about Burlington's policy on fluorescent bulbs. (This was
given to Sally, who will start circulating it among SWAC members when she's finished
with it.) Burlington has a contract with a bulb recycler. Two collections per year are
held for residents; new businesses have to present a fluorescent bulb disposal program as
a condition of operating in Burlington. Kay and Bob did not write a letter to the
Selectmen and Selectwomen about fluorescent bulbs; they felt it would be more
diplomatic to ask the Hazardous Waste Committee first whether they want to deal with
the collection of these bulbs. Kay will get the names of the Hazardous Waste Committee
members from Paula Schena (the Town Manager's secretary) and will talk to one of them
about which committee is responsible for fluorescent bulbs. Ted suggested that when the
current three-year hazardous waste collection contract is up, the new contract should
include collection of fluorescent bulbs. Lynda asked whether the MRIP money that
Reading receives would cover the cost of recycling fluorescent bulbs. Sally suggested
that the Women's Club might get involved in the collection of bulbs, as well; she will
look into this.
Reading's landfill area will be advertised for sale until September 17, when bids are to be
submitted.
At their most recent Channel 3 forum, the Selectmen and Selectwomen requested that
SWAC do more public education on home composting. At the next meeting, SWAC will
pick a date for a demonstration at the Strout Ave. municipal composting facility; we will
also arrange for videos to be shown on Channel 3 and look into setting up a display at the
library.
Ted confirmed that Reading meets the DEP's newly proposed Approved Composting
Program and Approved Recycling Program criteria.
Lynda suggested inviting Sharon Kishida to a future meeting. Bob noted that Sharon is
writing a recycling column for her community's newspaper. She's offered to share it
with other communities; Kay and Lynda will adapt the columns and submit them for
publication in Reading.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:02 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Ccnn.c P. Ynank,