TOWN OF MOUNT DESERT
SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING COMMITTEE
MEETING
February 2, 2006- Somesville Fire Station
(Postponed from 1-26-06)
1. Call to Order. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Tony Smith at 4:30 p.m. In attendance were Chris Breedlove, Mel Everly, Mildred Johnson, Phil Lichtenstein (5:30 p.m.), Joelle Nolan, Lee Patterson, and guest Nick Burnett.
2. Consideration of minutes of December 1, 2005 meeting. Minutes from the December 1, 2005 meeting were approved.
3. Update on Committee membership drive. Lee introduced Nick Burnett as a potential member. Nick will complete the necessary Volunteer Form for the Board of Selectmen and should be appointed by our next meeting. Nick lives in Somesville, is Lee’s nephew, and a member of the Warrant Committee.
4. Goals for 2006. Tony said one is his goals is to have a quorum at each meeting, whether the meetings be every month or a modified schedule. He noted it was ADD’s plan to arrange a field trip to PERC, and included this as goal, also. After a discussion of 5.A below, Lee suggested a goal of banning Old Newspaper (ONP) (which includes magazines, phone books, etc) from the waste stream as a tie-in to reducing summer garbage collection from twice to once a week. Tony recommended letting ADD issue the ban, then member Towns can agree to comply.
5. Regular Business
A. Discuss year round, once-a-week garbage pick-up with intent of making a recommendation to the Selectmen, or not. Once again we discussed the use of a portable trailer to collect recyclables with the idea that use of the trailer could lead to once-a-week collection of garbage in the summer. Discussion included: first year, leave the trailer in a different village each day of the week; next year, eliminate second weekly garbage collection; door-to-door collection vs. stationary trailer; use of Coastal Recycling; and probable need to re-configure recycle bins at Sargeant Drive drop-off center. Tony noted that to take our recyclables to EMR would cost $15,000 in “gate fees”. Chris suggested we might use only one village, as an experiment, for the recycle trailer.
Tony and Joelle will compile options and will try to have a report ready for the next meeting.
B. ADD update (Tony Smith)
· Public hearing on 2006 budget (2-2-06) and annual meeting (2-16-06).
· Collection and disposal options under consideration. There will be a feasibility study workshop on February 23, 2006; and they will probably hire an engineering firm in 2006 for a feasibility study. EMR and Ellsworth may or may not be a part of the equation.
· EMR fuel surcharge report. After receiving permission from the individual Towns, ADD negotiated with EMR. We have received our first bill; Tony will analyze and report to us.
· Discussion of role of ADD in Town-EMR contractual issues. Again, ADD will continue to receive permission from Towns to negotiate on items, until such time as Towns feel comfortable giving ADD “carte blanche”.
C. E-waste status. As of January 1, 2006 E-waste, which includes television sets and computer monitors, may not be collected as garbage (MSW). These items must be recycled. Although EMR is offering to accept, it is more cost effective for us to use the annual Household Hazardous Waste collection method.
D. Discuss contents and process for preparation of our quarterly Board of Selectmen’s report. Joelle presented members with a copy of the spreadsheet she maintains primarily for Lee Yeaton/ADD. It includes solid waste and recycle data. She suggested it could be used as part of the report to the Selectmen along with some highlights of Committee activity. It would be helpful to have at least one committee attend the meeting with Tony. Tony and Joelle will have some report suggestions for the Committee’s March meeting.
E. Assignments per Committee member. See 5A and 5D.
F. Any other business as may be legally conducted. Joelle asked if Kathy Branch is still the liaison to this Committee from the Board of Selectmen. Tony will find out.
G. Input from attending public. None.
6. Next meeting: 4:30 PM, Thursday, February 23, 2006. (Our regular meeting schedule is 4:30 PM on the 4th Thursday of the month.)
7. Adjournment. Meeting adjourned at 5:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Joelle D. Nolan
Recording Secretary
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