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Minutes 1990-04-19 SP ~ 229 MINUTES CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION ON RECYCLING THURSDAY; APRIL 19, 1990 COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 215 EAST BRANCH STREET ARROYO GRANDE, CALIFORNIA The City Council met at 7:30 P.M., with Mayor Mark M. Millis presiding. FLAG SALUTE Mayor Millis led the Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag. ROLL CALL Present were Mayor Millis and Council Members A. K. "Pete" Dougall, Gene Moots, Doris Olsen and B'Ann Smith. The subject of the meeting was the establishment of a curbside '- Recycling Program for the City of Arroyo Grande. City Manager Chris Christiansen referred to his April 17, 1990 memorandum in the Agenda Packet, and gave an overview listing the components of Assembly Bill 939, California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989. There were Council questions and comments concerning AB939 requirements, and Mr. Christiansen said the ultimate goal is a resource reduction center, where from 80 to 85 percent of household garbage is recycled. Mr. Christiansen reviewed four proposals, listed in his memorandum, for setting up a curbside recycling program in the City. The proposals were from South County Sanitary, Inc.: Ralcco Incorporated, and EcoSlo Environmental Center. He also reviewed a proposal in which the city would collect materials for recycling. He said representatives of the three companies, steve Aslanidis of Ralcco, John Ryan of South County Sanitary, Inc., and Kurt Kupper of EcoSlo, were present. Council Member Olsen asked if the curbside recycling program should require mandatory participation because of AB939. Mr. christiansen said he would recommend that the City start out on a voluntary basis to see how it works, and to have a comprehensive program to educate the public on curbside recycling. MR. ASLANIDIS discussed his company's proposal, and said the commercial sector fees would not be mandatory. He said if businesses wished to participate, the fee would be $3.00, which , would cover the cost of the recycling bin. There were further Council questions of Mr. Alanidis regarding sorting of the materials at the recycling center, businesses receiving a recycling plaque to display, collection of plastic milk and water jugs, the collection of bottles from restaurants and the collection of cardboard from liquor stores. Council Member Dougall pointed out that "commercial" refers to any place of business that has a dumpster, including mobilehome ~- parks, apartments, rentals, condos, etc. In answer to a question from Council Member Dougall, Mr. Aslanidis aid he is requesting a one-time charge to the City of $5,000 to pay for containers. I There was discussion of cost of the education program, and Mr. Christiansen said the City Staff would be doing the education of the public about recycling. Council Member Dougall said the Ralcco cost estimate should be $60,000 rather than $27,200. Mr. Aslanidis said he had given the city a proposal of what the actual cost would be to the City. 1 .. ..--- ._..-_._.~..~_..- ------------ --- "-..-.--- 230 ~ There were further questions from Council Member Dougall regarding granting Ralcco an "avoided cost of disposal'" fee for each ton of material collected and thereby diverted from the landfill, and whether liability insurance carried by Ralcco covers the City. There were questions and comments from the audience about when the recycling program would start and that the landfill may not be allowed to expand. Council Members discussed beginning the program right away to accumuiate credits for AB939 vs. spending more time to educate the public and thereby have more participation. Council Member Smith said she believes the City will have to require mandatory participation to get people to recycle. There were audience suggestions that recycling rates to the '~ homeowner be raised, and that the City investigate uses for I recycled materials. ' Mayor Millis said Ralcco is the processor that all those in the recycling business take their materials to. He described the Ralcco machinery to separate materials, and said residents would be more encouraged to recycle if their did not have to separate the materials. He said an education program is necessary, but there are many brochures and other materials already written which could be used by the City Staff. In answer to questions from Council Member Smith, Mr. christiansen said letters will be sent to residents of the City, and other advertising would be done in the homes and schools. MR. RYAN of the South County Sanitary service spoke to the Council, and said his company already has an ongoing advertising campaign for recycling. He said the Sanitary Service has experienced men and equipment collecting materials from homes on a daily basis. He stressed the consistence and capability of his company. In answer to a question from Mayor Millis, Mr. Ryan said the $8,000 proposed for education would be spent through a market plan designed especially for the city of Arroyo Grande. MR. KUPPER of EcoSlo said in Seattle when volume-based rates were put in, curbside recycling improved significantly. He said Seattle believes in rewarding the person who recycles. with regard to EcoSlo' s proposal, he said there will be a public relations person to do the recycling education. He said there will be an on-going comprehensive advertising program. He said all the proposals will cost the city about the same amount of money. He said EcoSlo has insurance which would cover the City, but he would have to look into bonding. He said containers would be provided to each household. He said a five year franchise would not be necessary. He described EcoSlo as a non-profit organization and said all discretionary money from the recycling program would go back into the community. l There was a question of how EcoSlo would bill commercial customers, and Mr. Kupper said if the Sanitary service would not do it, the EcoSlo proposal would have to be different. MIKE LADY, Chamber of Commerce president, spoke in favor of there being a process of education before the recycling begins. He said he agrees that Ralcco can meet the needs of the community by providing true recycling. HEATHER JENSEN, Chamber of Commerce executive director, suggested that the city send out an official Request for Bids. She said there has been a proposal made to her for a mobile buyback center concept, whereby citizens would be paid for recycling. She also suggested incorporating into the Conservation Element of the General Plan some of the requirements of AB939, and thereby earning 2 --------~---- . -, 231 more credits. She said as a resident she would like to apologize to Mr. Aslanidis, Mr. Ryan and Mr. Kupper for the direct questioning of their proposals, when to no official Requests for I proposals was put out by the city and the companies had no way of knowing what was expected. Mr. Aslanidis said it is not legal to get into a truck and drive around town buying recycling materials at this time. DANE PHILLIPS of Daystar Industries suggested that the city may need to hire a person to oversee the recycling program. Mayor Millis said the City has several independent programs that have no staff person just working on them alone. Mr. Aslanidis and Mr. Kupper said their companies would be working to make the city's recycling program a success because it would be to their benefit. , Mayor Millis said he was hopeful that the Council will decide I on which proposal it prefers at the April 24, 1990 meeting. He L said the Council also needs to decide when to begin the program. He said he was impressed with Seattle's 73 percent citizen participation in recycling, and the City should strive for a similar goal. Council Member Olsen said she believes it is advantageous to leave the commercial businesses out of the program at this time, because they do not generate much material for recycling. She said she hoped that business community would assist the City in advertising and educating the Citizens. ., ~~'J:~ I MARK M. MILLIS, MA OR ATTEST: ~ a. {),,~ NANCY A DAVIS, CITY CLERK - I 3