CC Minutes - 11/08/99 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Young said that the current program was not working, and staff believed if another program were not implemented, the current program should be discontinued while composting education efforts continue. She requested further direction from the council. Responding to a question from Mr. Lee, Ms. Young said that the cost of the service would be added to residents' monthly bills. Staff had not contemplated an exemption, although many communities, such as Gresham, do have exemptions. Mr. Lee determined from Ms. Young that the goal of the recommended change was more public participation in curbside yard debris collection. Ms. Young added that convenience of disposal was another factor. People currently stockpile debris, which creates a fire hazard. Mr. Lee expressed appreciation for the staff report and recomendation. However, he questioned the recommendation's impact on students who would pay for the service without necessarily benefitting from the program. Ms. Young clarified that multi-family complexes would not be included in the program. She said that staff could examine some exemption options, such as were offered by other Oregon communities, but that would require additional resources. Mr. Kelly commended the staff work behind the proposal. He asked for a definition of yard debris. Ms. Young said that yard debris included a variety of materials, such as grass clippings and woody debris six to eight inches in diameter. She clarified, in response to a question from Mr. Kelly, that the material collected would not include food waste. Mr. Kelly asked what percentage of the waste stream was food waste. Ms. Young said that food waste made up a large percentage of the waste stream, but it was generally from commercial sources. She added that staff was looking at other ways to address food waste in the commercial sector, including composting and collection. Mr. Kelly asked why staff cited participation rates if it was contemplating universal service. Ms. Young said that there may be residents who choose not to use the service or have little yard debris. The participation rates were cited to help with an estimate of costs, but staff was not sure of those rates. As participation went up, additional equipment would be required to serve more customers. Mr. Kelly asked staff to give thought to possible exemptions. Ms. Taylor asked if preparation standards would be as severe as in the current program. Ms. Young said no, since there would be a container provided by the haulers. Ms. Taylor was concerned about compulsory nature of the program and the additional costs to residents. She pointed out that many people had landscape services that already removed debris from their property, or they had very little landscaping. She believed that the current pick-up schedule was inconvenient, and if a resident missed the deadline the program was almost useless. Aisc, storage of such a large container could be problematic for many residents. Mr. Rayor asked about the impact on the cost of the program if service was offered once a month. Ms. Young said that it would lower the cost but it would also lower the participation rate. She added that long-term storage of some materials, such as fresh grass clippings, was problematic for many residents. Mr. Rayor asked about the potential of a seasonal program. Ms. Young pointed out that haulers would still have costs associated with the required equipment. Mr. Rayor MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 8, 1999 Page 6 5:30 p.m.