HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-05-29 SWAC Meeting Mintues City of Meridian
S ol id Wa s te
Advisory Commission
SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING
City Council Chambers, 33 East Broadway Avenue Meridian, Idaho
Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at 4:00 PM
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disabilities should contact the City Clerk's Office at 208-888-4433 at least 48 hours prior to the public meeting.
Meeting Minutes
VIRTUAL MEETING: https:llwww.youtube.com/watch?v=ML4dl-BgaG4
ROLL-CALL ATTENDANCE
Present Andy Arriaga Present Megan Larsen Present Bethany Guajardo
Present James Leckie (Youth) Present Scott Walters
Present Mark Nelson Present Steve Cory
Absent Rachele Klein, Republic Services Ex-Officio
MEETING BROUGHT TO ORDER: 4:01pm
APPROVAL OF AGENDA: May 29, 2024 agenda approved.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES [ACTION ITEM]
1. April 24, 2024 meeting minutes approved.
STAFF PROGRAM REPORT
2. Monthly Presentation:What is Diversion and its Sources (Staff Schultz)
Meridian focuses on two main diversion groups, source reduction and reuse group and
recycling/composting group. In the first group, the City has two reuse programs,
Recycle a Bicycle and Trash or Treasure. In the second group the City has two types of
recycling programs. The first program is collection of standard recyclables and the
second program is the collection of specialty items such as the Orange Bag Program and
HHW program. For composting, the City offers yard debris and Christmas tree
composting. In looking at the quarterly tonnage report that is presented to SWAC, these
diversion methods are shown in the solid waste composition graphic and help
determine the City's diversion rate.
Republic Services' general manager, Cord Stanley, pointed out a typo in the PowerPoint.
Orange bags are in fact also in the energy recovery category of the EPA's Waste
Management Hierarchy. This is because a portion of the orange bags that are collect go
to a cement kiln to be burn as fuel.
Solid Waste Advisory Commission Meeting-Wednesday,May 29,2024.Page 1 of 2
All Materials presented at public meetings shall become property of the City of Meridian
3. Trash or Treasure event results (Staff Schultz)
The Trash or Treasure event was different this year since it was not accompanied by
the Spring Cleanup event. Participation rates were up from last year. Approximately
1,200 households participated this year. Staff Schultz will share the results from the
Trash or Trash post survey.
OLD BUSINESS [ACTION ITEMS]
4. Recycle a Bicycle event results (Staff Schultz &Participating Commissioners)
For this year at the Unplug and Be Outside event,there were approximately 56 patrons
who came to the SWAC booth.All bikes brought to give away were taken, more than 15
people wanted their bikes serviced with air or slime, and there was a total of 7
volunteers that helped out, which included City staff, SWAC members, and Timber
Creek. The online signup stats for this year included 88 Meridian households, 53
households from other cities, and a total of 141 bike request. SWAC members were able
to complete 35 Meridian requests before the event.
5. Public Works Week event results (Staff Schultz &Commissioner Larsen)
Commissioner Larsen commented that for Public Works Week, SWAC had
approximately 75 people come to their booth. Patrons mainly wanted to know what
was recyclable. Outside, the City/Republic Services/Timber Creek booth saw
approximately 50 patrons.
NEW BUSINESS [ACTION ITEMS]
6. Arts Contest Updates (Commissioner Larsen)
Commissioner Larsen proposed that SWAC postpone participating in the Community
Art Party event for year 2024 in order to spend more time developing and conducting
outreach, especially within the schools. This may help in getting more participation in
the art contest. SWAC could rejoin the event on 2025. Commissioners motioned to
postpone participating in the 2024 Community Art Party event and rejoin in 2025.
Motion passed.
STAKEHOLDER UPDATES
Timber Creek Recycling, Tyler, informed SWAC that they have started accepting
commercial organics from local stores. Republic Services is hauling this material to the
Timber Creek's facility.
ADJOURNMENT: 4:32pm
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All Materials presented at public meetings shall become property of the City of Meridian