04/22/1981 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e - e Ms. Wooten thought the City needed to have a stronger role in determining what could be done about garbage, both domestic and industrial. She asked the council for their consensus/approval for at least one representative on the Resource Recovery Advisory Committee to report back to the jurisdiction on how the City might proceed. She said that it is evident that the fees imposed at the County solid waste site are going to continue, that the ecological means that were employed to deal with the matter did not work, and that it is incumbent upon the City Council to explore a variety of methods to find an environmentally benign and ecologically sound method to deal with the garbage. She noted the presence of Commissioner Rust. Commissioner Rust introduced Peter Bartel, his aide who wrote the report; Craig Starr, Director of County Solid Waste Division; and Bob Fenstermacher, Chair of the Resource Recovery Advisory Committee. Mr. Rust said that they had tried four approaches to solid waste reduction in Lane County. The technological approach is a failure. Source separation has not gotten off the ground (1 to 2 percent of materials presently). The landfill approach and the user fee approach: there has been a 40-percent reduction in landfill usage and a 40-percent increase in recycling since the institution of user fees. Mr. Rust encouraged council to take Councilor Wootenls suggestion that the City become actively involved with the County on this issue. The County has a Resource Recovery Advisory Committee. A solid majority of the Board of Commissioners concurred with Mr. Rust, although not officially, yet. They would like to see representatives of Springfield and Eugene on this committee as well as a staff liaison. Lane County disposes of the material while the cities regulate the collection of the material. It is important that they work together. Ms. Smith asked about the makeup of the Resource Recovery Advisory Committee. Mr. Starr replied that there is one representative from the waste hauling industry; a representative of BRING, the recycling industry; two representatives from the secondary materials industry (paper and metals); and five consumer representatives from Eugene and the Lane County rural areas. He asked for an expression of interest from Eugene in being a member of the committee. Ms. Smith said that she would support the exploration of more cooperative arrange- ments between the City and the County in order to come up with some solutions. Mr. Rust urged the City to help find solutions. He noted Short Mountain Landfill is filling more rapidly than expected. Eugene has half the population and contributes half of the County's total garbage. Ms. Wooten urged that a staff person and a City Councilor be appointed to the County committee which would recommend action by the cities to reduce solid waste. The appointees would report on an intermittent basis to determine the City's continued participation. Ms. Miller noted that the County had not opened the committeels membership as yet, but that the City could relay their interest. She was glad to see the City take the responsibility that they should on this matter. By saving landfill space, they are saving the citizens money. She suggested revitalizing the MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 22, 1981 Page 8