City Council, October 14, 2009
A special workshop session of the Pawtucket City Council is held Wednesday, October 14, 2009, at 5:40 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 137 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI.
Present – President Kinch, Councilors Barros, Barry, Chadwick, Hodge, Moran, Tetreault, Vitali and Wildenhain.
Absent – 0.
The Council takes up the following:
DISCUSSION – WASTE ZERO.
The first speaker is John E. Carney, Director of Public Works.
Mr. Carney states that there needs to be changes regarding recycling. He states that by 2012, the City needs to be at 35% recycling. Currently, the state says the city is at 15.9%.
The people he spoke to regarding the “no bin – no barrel” program say that the program is not very successful. People get around it.
Mr. Carney states that the Waste Zero representatives are present and will show the education program that they will use for the public. He states that the plan is to have two meetings in each district.
The number one recycling community in Rhode Island is Middletown, a Waste Zero community. Middletown’s recycling is at 43%.
Mr. Carney states that in 2012, if the city does not meet the 35% recycling requirement, the city will have to pay $58 per ton for trash dumped at the landfill and not the current $32 per ton.
Mr. Carney wants the council’s feelings on the program. If the council is against it, they won’t proceed further with it.
President Kinch states that the administration can roll this program out to the neighborhoods with or without council approval.
Councilor Hodge states that he wants public input before the council votes on this matter.
Councilor Barros states that he feels like this is too soon to bring this up again.
The next speaker is Mark Dancy, Waste Zero.
Mr. Dancy states that he has been doing this (Waste Zero) for 15 years. He provides a handout to the Council regarding Waste Zero. This handout is READ AND ORDERED FILED.
Mr. Dancy states that no customers have left the program once they have begun. He states that there are currently 80 communities in Massachusetts that use the program.
Mr. Dancy states that the Waste Zero program reduces energy use and greenhouse gases. The price pressure from purchasing bags causes people to use less trash bags. He states that 7,000 communities currently use some form of “pay as you throw”. The average waste reduction is 43%. He states that in Malden, MA, the waste reduction was 50%. He states that requiring the use of the bags makes the city look cleaner.
He states that Waste Zero will do the public education meetings at no cost and Waste Zero will negotiate a contract with the city for payments. It can be done in a number of different ways.
Council members express concerns regarding compliance.
Mr. Dancy states that in his 15 years of experience, if the ordinance implementing the program is enforced, it will succeed. There will be some people who break the rules, but most will comply.
Councilor Barry wants a mailing to every landlord in the city telling them that they are responsible for compliance.
Mr. Carney believes that this program is the best way to reach the 35% recycling rate.
There are no other speakers.
Upon motion made by Councilor Hodge, seconded by Councilor Moran, the meeting is adjourned at 6:53 p.m.