Solid Waste Commission Meeting - March 4, 2025

Agenda

1. Introductions
2. Recruitment Update/Welcome New Members
3. Chair and Vice Chair Elections
4. Draft Amendments to Administrative Rules
5. Community Survey Results
6. Recycling Modernization Act Updates
7. General Updates
8. Public Comment

Minutes

Numbers in parenthesis, e.g. (0:03:06), are recording timestamps

Members Present - Quorum Established:
Chad Oyler, Will Mathias, Carlton Paulmier, Kris LaMar, Dawn Loomis, and Julie Hamilton

Staff (DTD Sustainability & Solid Waste): Rick Winterhalter, Angela Goebel, Kate Taylor, and Tenille Beseda Fillwock

Guests: Melanie Wagner, Beth Vargas Duncan, Cindy Rogers, Kris Wright, Josh Brown, Dan Blue, Shawn LaMont, and Dave Huber

Introductions (0:00:13) 
Commissioners, staff, and guests introduce themselves

Recruitment Update/Welcome New Members (0:02:45) 
Commissioners shared a bit about their background, interest in the commission, and a fun fact.

Vice Chair and Chair Elections (0:17:20)
Commissioners tabled the vice chair election for the next meeting, and Chair Oyler was reelected to serve as Chair.
Motion to elect by: Commissioner LaMar
Motion seconded by: Commissioner Paulmier
Vote: 5-0-1 (Chair Oyler abstained)

Draft Amendments to Administrative Rules (0:19:26)
Rick Winterhalter presented the first look at the draft amendments and discussion ensued. No action was requested at that time, and thoughts are welcome over email. The topic will be revisited in the future.

Chair Oyler asked a clarifying question about the tracked changes in the draft document when compared to the current document. Everything in the draft that is tracked represents a proposed substantive change.

Community Survey Results (0:25:38)
Angela Goebel presented the 2024 customer satisfaction survey results. Discussion ensued.

Commissioner Paulmier asked about effort to improve participation again, and an incentive is potentially being revisited.

Chair Oyler mentioned that sometimes people are more driven to participate in a survey if satisfaction is low. He also asked about glass and battery collection. Glass is collected in the county across all zones and cities. Batteries are only collected for single family residential customers across the county and cities.

Recycling Modernization Act Updates (0:47:11)
Chair Oyler asked about improving recycling as it relates to the community survey results, which led into the conversation about the Recycling Modernization Act (RMA). Rick Winterhalter provided an overview of the RMA, the status of staff efforts, and what to expect in the future. Discussion ensued. Chair Oyler asked about how the new statewide list impacts Recycle+. The only overlap at this point is the plastic film, but staff isn't under the impression that anything will change with Recycle+.

Chair Oyler asked if funds would go to the County, and they would.

Commissioner Loomis asked if there was a timeline or deadline for funding authorization forms. They are due to the DEQ by the end of March.

General Updates (1:04:55)
Kate Taylor proposed a staff idea to offer a hybrid option to make the meetingsmore accessible to the public and to allow the commission to adapt if a commissioner or staff member cannot make a meeting in-person. The commission discussed this and agreed to move forward with the change.

The date and time of the next meeting was discussed and staff will follow-up with options.

Public Comment (1:10:53)
Josh Brown requested collector-specific community survey results reports which staff will provide within the next couple weeks.

Cindy Rogers requested the community survey results presentation slide deck, which staff will provide within the next couple weeks.

Beth Vargas Duncan shared thoughts around depot costs and Metro's system facilities plan. She also mentioned that Circular Action Alliance (CAA) has a preference for curbside.

Chair Oyler asked about write-ins on the community survey results. Overall, there were not many.

Dan Blue mentioned that wine bottles may be added to redemption programs and Cindy Rogers added thoughts on the topic.

Kris LaMar, Chair Oyler, Tenille Beseda Fillwock and Cindy Rogers discussed juice bottles and redemption.

Tenille Beseda Fillwock shared another staff update that the Opportunity to Recycle reports have been submitted to DEQ.

Adjournment (01:20:28)
Motion to adjourn by: Commissioner LaMar
Motion seconded by: Commissioner Paulmier
Vote: 6-0
Meeting adjourned at 4:21 p.m.