Solid Waste Commission Meeting - May 8, 2025

Agenda

1. Introductions
2. Vice Chair Election
3. Approve March 4, 2025 Meeting Minutes
4. Annual Review of Solid Waste Collection system
5. Public Comment
6. Administrative Rules update
7. Recycling Modernization Act update
8. General updates

Minutes

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

Staff (DTD Sustainability & Solid Waste): Rick Winterhalter, Tenille Beseda Fillwock, Kate
Taylor, Angela Dunham, Angela Goebel, Colleen Johnston (via Zoom), and Sophie Richards (via Zoom)

Guests: Beth Vargas Duncan, Kris Wright, Dave Huber, and Shawn LaMont

Guests via Zoom: Artem Savka, Greg Moore, Jess Chojnacky, Jimmy Cody, and Dan Blue

Introductions (0:00:50) Commissioners, staff, and guests introduce themselves

Vice Chair Election (0:02:50)

No one was nominated prior to the meeting.

Motion to self-nominate by: Commissioner LaMar
Motion seconded by: Commissioner Loomis Vote: 5-0-1 (Chair Oyler abstained)

Approve March 4, 2025 Meeting Minutes (0:04:54)

Staff will provide meeting minutes for approval by early June, and Chair Oyler suggested
approving minutes by email to make things more efficient.

Annual Review of Solid Waste Collection system (0:05:53)

Kate Taylor provided an overview about why and how this rate review is performed, and she
outlined the proposed fee increases and the options available for commissioners' consideration. For details, please see the staff report.

Options:

1. Maintain fees at current levels until 2026. In this scenario, the 2025 estimated
   composite return will fall at the bottom of the 8-12% acceptable range.

    

2. Increase fees for cart, container, and drop box, as proposed, effective July 1,
   2025. In this scenario, the estimated 2025 Total County composite will be within the range, slightly above the 10% target.
3. Propose an alternative to Options 1 and 2.

Deliberation around the Clackamas County Transfer Station fees will happen after this conversation, so discussion on the collection fees ensued.

Chair Oyler asked about the increase in disposal expense and how that may change. Staff recently learned that the Metro tip fee increase may not be 8.9% and asked for commissioners' support to make adjustments as needed to any final fee increase potentially approved today. If approved, staff will adjust the fee increase up or down depending on the final Metro tip fee increase.

Chair Oyler asked approximately how many collectors are utilizing CNG when considering the impact of the CNG fuel tax credit. Staff shared that based on revenue, approximately 70% of collectors operating in urban Clackamas County are utilizing CNG fuel.

Chair Oyler asked if fuel is considered a truck expense in the review, and staff shared that it
is. He also asked about approximately how much of the increase is associated with the sunsetting of the CNG fuel tax credit. Staff shared that based on the proposed $1.55 increase to the 35-gallon cart fee, fuel makes up $0.31 of the increase.

Chair Oyler noted that fuel prices have been going down and asked how that's captured in
this review. Staff shared that ratepayers have seen the benefit of the credit because the cost of fuel has gone down with the credit. Now we can get the increased cost covered as the credit sunsets. The credit went away in January 2025, so that's why staff is anticipating the increase in fuel.

Chair Oyler asked if these are calendar year projections versus July to July, and staff
confirmed that they are based on the calendar year.

Chair Oyler made a statement that a comment that stood out in the past community survey results asked that the rates not be increased. The goal is to have predictable, sustainable waste collection, and it would be nice for the County to have a flat year to give some cost breaks to ratepayers. That said, looking back at rates, in 2022-2023 especially, there has been inflation, and franchisees have been digesting a lot of costs over time. Both ratepayers and franchisees are experiencing increased costs.

Motion to approve Option 2, the proposed fee increase, by: Commissioner Paulmier
Motion seconded by: Vice-Chair LaMar
Vote: 6-0 (one absence)

Rick Winterhalter provided an overview of the proposed fee increases for the Clackamas County Transfer Station. For details, please see the staff report . Discussion ensued.

Chair Oyler asked about the definition of light waste versus heavy waste. Staff shared that
light waste is household waste, and heavy waste is concrete, demolition, asphalt, wood, and things that are heavier in nature.

Motion to approve proposed transfer station fees by: Commissioner Loomis
Motion seconded by: Commissioner Paulmier
Vote: 6-0 (one absence)

Public Comment (0:29:02)
Beth Vargas Duncan, representing Clackamas County Refuse and Recycling Association
(CCRA), provided public testimony which is attached to these minutes.

Administrative Rules update (0:35:15)
Rick Winterhalter provided a status update of the project and encouraged commissioners to
share their thoughts in the future. This project is in the early stages, as engagement still needs to happen with collectors, as well.

Recycling Modernization Act update (0:36:47)
With the Recycling Modernization Act (RMA), staff might have to put new rules in place or potentially amend them in the coming year as it goes into effect. This is an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program where companies that make packaging and paper products will pay into parts of the system. There is a Uniform Statewide Collection List (USCL) to provide consistency across the state. This will especially expand recycling (accepted items and/or curbside collection) in some rural areas in other Counties. Clackamas County has a pocket on the mountain where staff will consider an expansion of the collection system.

Contamination reduction is another important piece of the program. The County will get funding of $3 per capita to help with that work. Staff is working with the cities in the County that have authorized the County to do outreach and education services on their behalf. Staff is looking at different options for contamination reduction beyond just outreach and will bring them before the Commission.

Responsible end markets or commodity markets are also a key part of this legislation. There will be rules about inbound and outbound materials and what can end up in the bales of commodities. There are still a lot of questions, but the work is in progress. The next step is entering into funding agreements with the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO).

Commissioner Loomis asked if the $3 per capita contamination reduction funds apply to the unincorporated County, and staff replied that they do. They apply to the unincorporated and incorporated County.

General updates (0:46:30)
Chair Oyler requested to revisit Recycle+ and receive an update at the next meeting. Staff will add it to the agenda for the upcoming meeting in September.

Vice-Chair LaMar shared about resources available through the Master Recycler Program. Staff followed up with commissioners regarding related resources via email.

Motion to adjourn by: Chair Oyler
Motion seconded by: Vice-Chair LaMar
Vote: 6-0 (one absence)
Adjourned at 2:57 p.m.