Meeting:  Regional Waste Advisory Committee (RWAC) Meeting

Date:  Thursday December 15, 2022

Time:  8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Place:  Zoom meeting

Purpose:  The purpose of the Regional Waste Advisory Committee is to provide input on certain policies, programs, and projects that implement actions in the 2030 Regional Waste Plan, as well as to provide input on certain legislative and administrative actions that the Metro Council or Chief Operating Officer will consider related to implementation of the 2030 Regional Waste Plan.    

Members in Attendance:

Marta McGuire, Metro

Alondra Flores Aviña, Trash for Peace

Bunsereyrithy Kong, Oregon Cambodian Buddhist Society

Lindsay Marshall, City of Tualatin

Christa McDermott, Community Environmental Services, PSU

Audrey O’Brien, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)    

Eben Polk, Clackamas County

Thao Tu, Vietnamese Community of Oregon

Beth Vargas Duncan, Oregon Refuse and Recycling Association (ORRA)

1.  CALL TO ORDER & MEETING OVERVIEW

Marta McGuire (Metro) brought the virtual meeting to order at 8:31 am and previewed the agenda.

2.  PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

There were no comments from the public.

4.  Metro Budget Development

Marta McGuire reviewed the budget setting process and current allocations.

Key points of the presentation included:

The theme of the budget is to restore and maintain current service levels. There are no major proposed additions to budget next year.

Member Discussion Included:

Committee members were given to the opportunity to comment on budget priorities, concerns, and ask questions.

Eben Polk, from Clackamas County, asked for clarification on West side facilities need and curtailment. Also asked about the process for takeaways from budget forums could be incorporated into the implementation of the regional waste plan. Ms. McGuire responded that there is the opportunity to make these connections in planning, and the intention is to take feedback and update each audience on how the information has been incorporated.

Christa McDermott from Community Environmental Services, PSU, supports more focus on bulky waste efforts, but wonders if there are more ways to address bulky waste apart from collection events. Ms. McGuire and Mr. Polk responded that this should be a focus as we focus on upstream material management and that local governments need to step up in this area.

Audrey O’Brien from DEQ asked how to plan for climate change impacts in the budget.

Lindsay Marshall from the City of Tualatin, seconded the need to focus on bulky waste services. There is also a need for education for recycling products.

Alondra Flores Avina from Trash for Peace, seconded Ms. Marshall’s comments. Also wants to highlight the need to have different languages and learning mechanisms, such as images not just text for recycling education.

Thao Thu stated that he sees the need to continue to educate people on how best to recycle.

Bun Kong wants to focus on equity, and slowing rate increases and inflation.

5.  Garbage and Recycling System Facilities Plan – Phase 2 Gap Analysis Summary

Marta McGuire introduced Estee Segal from Metro and Lyndsey Lopez from Jacobs.

Key points of the presentation included:

The presentation reviewed what the Garbage and Recycling System Facilities plan’s scope of work. It is meant to support the 2030 Regional Waste Plan, identifying needs in the system, and innovating the garbage and recycling system in the region. Currently the phase 2 gap analysis is being finished, and a full summary will be presented to Council where the team will ask for direction to move onto phase 3. Phase 3 will draft scenarios will be created to address the gaps found in phase 2.

The study included over 800 comments and 24 themes from community partners, local governments, industry, and Metro staff. The most prevalent themes were bulky waste reuse and repair, hard to recycle items, general residential self-haul and reuse and repair hubs. A full written report with all identified needs will be shared in the coming months.

Moving forward the study is being analyzed with geospatial analysis to look at the equity of access in the system, drive times to facilities and environmental justice issues. These will also include looking at future population growth in the region.

As phase 3 is started scenarios will be created and evaluated and put forth for comment.

Member Discussion Included:

Mr. Polk commented that services and dynamic changes from regional waste plan that are continuing should be taken into account in the proposed scenarios. For example; not every gap needs a facility. Will there be more focus on disaster preparedness?

Ms. McDermott asked how many alternative visions will be included? Lyndsey Lopez encouraged more feedback on solutions to gaps that include both small and larger responses.

Ms. McDermott also wanted to encourage the integration of existing resources in the region be incorporated in phase 3 of the project.

6.  Upcoming Investment and Innovation Grants Solicitation

Marta McGuire introduced Suzanne Piluso from Metro.

Key points of the presentation included:

The presentation reviewed the creation of the program. The program was created to become the mechanism to provide funding to businesses and organizations that reduced waste and recycle materials while stabilizing the system. There are two grant types. Program grants are $10,000 to $100,000, and fund personnel, operations, or small equipment. There is a 20% match required for businesses and universities. Capital grants are $50,000 to $500,000, and fund equipment and facility infrastructure. There is a 100% match required for businesses and universities.

As the program has continued past the pilot phase there has been a focus on strengthening the equity requirements to be considered for a grant. Also, funding priorities are established each grant cycle to guide how grants are awarded. Currently the three funding priorities are projects or programs that focus on reuse and repair, food waste prevention and conversion to durable packaging and service wear, and recycling infrastructure. Grants are reviewed by two committees and scored prior to being awarded.

The 5^th grant cycle will start January 3, 2023. Grants will be awarded at the end of June 2023. Additionally, a new annual report has just been published to show results of the grant to date, and sent by email to stakeholders including RWAC members. This report will be available every December moving forward.

Member Discussion Included:

There were no questions or comments.

7.  Multifamily Service Improvements

Marta McGuire introduced Sara Kirby and Lauren Ballinger from Metro.

Key points of the presentation included:

The presentation reviewed what defines a multifamily unit and the eight projects specific to this work being completed at Metro. These include the multifamily recycling report (completed), the updated Metro multifamily regional service standards (completed), the decal/sign redesign (completed) and implementation (in progress), the multifamily key indicator base study (completed), bulky waste policy project (in progress), large household item reuse study (in progress), mattress extended producer responsibility (in progress) and multifamily enclosure design (not yet started). A report conducted in 2017 initiated this work and this work has resulted in actions in the 2030 Regional Waste Plan.

Member Discussion Included:

Ms. Avina asked if there are any themes that stand out in the bulky waste conversation. Ms. Kirby responded that currently all services are “responsive” services, not on route collection or standard collection days, and that there is a patchwork of services that need to be standardized.

Ms. McDermott asked about property management engagement and how it fits into the plan. Ms. Kirby responded that they will be engaging property managers on proposed collection scenarios. Property managers are not always key decision makers, so are considered a secondary audience.

Mr. Polk shared that Clackamas has been focusing on enclosure design standards and trying to score property managers on their materials management to try to engage them more on this topic.

8.  Final Remarks

Marta updated the committee on membership. New members are being proposed in January to fill seats vacated by Shannon Martin, Arianne Sperry and Peter Brandom. Ms. McGuire put forth the October meeting minutes for approval. Ms. Vargas Duncan motioned to approve the October minutes; Ms. Flores Avina seconded. October minutes approved. Ms. McGuire gave a few final remarks to the committee.

MEETING AJOURNED at 10:30 a.m.