The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My Public Portal AboutRecycling Commission -- 2023-09-19 MinutesTown of Brewster Recycling Commission 2198 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631 (508) 896-3701 RECYCLING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES 2198 Main Street, Conference Room A September 19, 2023 @ 2:00 PM 1. Call to Order 2. Declaration of a Quorum 2.. E1 - -tilt In attendance: Annie Dugan, Susan Skidmore, Meg Morris, Peter Johnson, Mr. Ryder, Pat Semple, Dr. Mary Chaffee, Donna Kalinick. 3. Meeting Participation Statement 4. Recording Statement: As required by the Open Meeting Law we are informing you that the Town will be video and audio taping as well as broadcasting this public meeting. In addition, if anyone else intends to either video or audio tape this meeting, they are required to inform the chair. 5. Public Announcements and Comment: Members of the public may address the Recycling Commission on matters not on the meeting's agenda for a maximum of 3-5 minutes at the Chair's discretion. The Recycling Commission will not reply to statements made or answer questions raised during public comment but may add items presented to a future agenda. 6. Approval of Minutes: July 2023 (no meeting was held in August 2023) 7. Solid Waste & Recycling Update from DPW Mr. Ryder reports that DPW is continuing with the site review. He had a site visit today with Mr. James Jones and believes there may be some items higher up on the wish list that will be doable given our budget and timeline. The site visit allowed Mr. Ryder to get feedback and suggestions from DPW employees, which he appreciated. By way of review for the edification of viewers, Dr. Chaffee asked Mr. Ryder to identify some of the bigger issues involved in the reconfiguring of the recycling center site. Mr. Ryder noted the following: • The backup that occurs when cars queue up to access the various bins; line has been known to go down the hill and around the bend. Improve circulation so that it makes sense for users, get them in and out as quickly as possible. The average trip to the transfer station is 04:00, as assessed by the new license plate reader. Looking at ways to build in flexibility for users now, and in years ahead. • The location of our Construction & Demolition (C&D) area, which is right in the middle of things, could be problematic. There are times when the loader blocks traffic and the area quickly becomes congested. Relocating the C&D area is an important objective. • Use of the current structures is also being evaluated, specifically the big empty storage building right in the middle of the drop off site. • A better, more convenient bathroom facility for the employees is important. Implementation of improvements/changes will depend on budget constraints. DPW is also undergoing an internal review of fees associated with our solid waste charges for items delivered by permit holders. It is noted that Mr. Ryder and Ms. Morris will need to present any changes to the Select Board for their consideration. Q&A: How many contracts does DWP have? Ms. Kalinick estimates 12 around recycling, 40 for everything else. Contracts can only run 1-3 years per MA state law; Donna prefers 3 -year contracts, but volatile market prices result in contractors wanting to lock in their price for just 1 year. We have 3 Bay State textile bins, we did have the Planet Aid bins removed. In August we received $140.88 for 2,480 pounds. The Scout Bin is going well. It is clean and emptied in a timely manner, no issues with debris blowing across the parking lot. 7a. Visit to MRF Ms. Semple and Mr. Ryder will suggest some dates for a visit this Fall. 8. Recycling Outreach Programs 8a. Town social media opportunities Chair Morris led a discussion about the need to get news of our work out to the public. She used the Council on Aging as an example of a town organization that is getting its messages out effectively these days. Donna noted that there is a communication survey out for all residents right now, it is short and can be completed quickly. The survey is open until October 10. The town has hired a company to do an evaluation of how to better get information out to Brewster residents — what is currently being done, what we can do better. There are 1,000 people who subscribed to the Brewster email blast. She notes that a lot of people have signed up for the DPW page because people want to know if it is open or closed. BGTV coordinator (Brewster Government TV) is completely in-house now; web page postings are reviewed and added to the digital "bulletin board" so that the many people who watch the channel get the notices. November is recycling month, that would be a good opportunity for our committee to write some posts for publication and broadcast. 8b. Volunteer Day September 30th Chair Morris reviewed who will be representing the Commission during Brewster's Volunteer Day on September 30. This will be an excellent opportunity to recruit and inform Brewster residents. We could use the flyers with recycling tips from earlier event, we can talk about the new textile bins, we can help residents understand how we recycle and why. Dr. Chaffee clarified that the first two hours are the fair itself, and that to encourage residents to stay there will be a raffle at Noon in which several important annual passes will be given away to lucky winners (beach sticker, shellfish permit, etc.). Noon to 1:00 will be an appreciation luncheon for all volunteers. 8c. Strategic discussion re Expanded Polystyrene Chair Morris led a discussion regarding polystyrene. Harwich and Yarmouth have passed bans on polystyrene takeout containers, and while Falmouth set up a committee, they have not yet banned it. Chair Morris was on a call with a member of the Falmouth committee who is concerned that some of the solutions are not really viable. Are these alternate containers recyclable? Compostable? Here in Brewster, we need to get input from our local businesses. There are some exclusions, one of them being federal programs at local schools. Chair Morris does not want a series of carve outs, she would like to come up with a solution that works for everyone. The point was made that Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have solutions to this, and that they have already taken a deep dive into this subject matter — maybe we should touch base with them? Enforcement will be the biggest issue. Point was made that Meals on Wheels receives pre-packaged food from US Govt and consequently have no control over the packaging. Dr. Chaffee added that this is an important conversation, but noted that we have limited resources and time; she questions if we can undertake this? She suggests we should be hesitant before jumping in with both feet. Chair Morris accepts her comments, noting that these are all good points — that we cannot abandon polystyrene until we have something else to use. Perhaps we can start by surveying our businesses and seeing what they are using? Not all are using polystyrene. We should gather data before scaring local businesses. 9. Swap Shop Closed on Saturday the 16th because of Hurricane Lee. The staff will soon start thinking about when to set the seasonal closing date. Mr. Ryder is impressed with and thankful for the Swap Shop volunteers for their excellent work. 10. Town Department Liaison Updates Donna notes that town Meeting will be Monday, November the 13th. 11. FYIs OCC and mixed paper prices jump this month (resource-recycling.com) 12. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair News from Boston that Gov. Healy has banned single water bottle usage by the State. Eddy School is doing great with their composting program and received funding for the upcoming year. The new 5th graders with be helping the incoming 3rd graders understand the system. 13. Next Meeting: October 17, 2:00 PM (this meeting subsequently postponed until November 21St) 14. Adjournment at 3:01 PM Submitted by Pat Semple