APPROVED MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF HAMILTON COUNTY ... · His new position on the Board of...
Transcript of APPROVED MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF HAMILTON COUNTY ... · His new position on the Board of...
APPROVED MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF
HAMILTON COUNTY RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE DISTRICT
POLICY COMMITTEE
January 21, 2016
DATE: January 21, 2016 TIME: 1:30 p.m. PLACE: Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services 250 William Howard Taft Road - First Floor Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 PRESENT: Policy Committee Members
Elizabeth Bruggeman, General Interest Member Tim Ingram, Hamilton County Public Health Representative Jeff Luehrmann, Generator Representative Sue Magness, Largest Municipality Representative Sophie Manaster, Student Representative Todd Portune, County Commissioner, Chair Larry Riddle, Ex-Officio Member Tom Turchiano, Public Member
Staff
Michelle Balz, Assistant Solid Waste Manager Holly Christmann, Director Megan Hummel, Public Relations Coordinator Ali Khodadad, Operations Manager Joy Landry, Public Relations Specialist Jenny Lohmann, Program Specialist Brad Miller, Assistant Director Cher Mohring, Program Specialist Susan Schumacher, Assistant Solid Waste Specialist, Clerk Catherine Walsh, Business Outreach Coordinator
Others in Attendance
Kelsey Bray, Cincinnati State Michael Briggs, Cincinnati State Chuck DeJonckheere, Hamilton County Public Health Libby Edwards, Hamilton County Public Health Katie Evans, Best Way Disposal Larry Falkin, Office of Environment and Sustainability – City of Cincinnati Ann Fallon, Cincinnati State Dean Ferrier, Rumpke Greg Kesterman, Hamilton County Public Health Roy Kolbinsky, Cincinnati State Nick Sadlowski, Cincinnati State Rachel Shirk, Cincinnati State Vincent Tchameni, Cincinnati State Ethan Verhley, Cincinnati State Kurt Wagner, Cincinnati State Omar Ward, Cincinnati State
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mr. Portune called the meeting to order at 1:33 p.m. and welcomed everyone. Mr. Portune stated that Dennis Deters who held the Township Representative position on the Committee was recently appointed to be a County
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Commissioner. His new position on the Board of County Commissioners replaced the retired position of Greg Hartmann. Commissioner Deters new appointment has created a vacancy on the Policy Committee that will need to be filled once the Township Association provides their recommendation. Mr. Portune stated that Commissioner Deters submitted a letter which he would like to read into the record and is dated January 20, 2016 and addressed to Holly Christmann who is the Director: Dear Holly, I would like to express my gratitude to you and the members of the Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District Policy Committee, as well as the staff of Environmental Services, for your assistance during my time on the Policy Committee as the Colerain Township representative. As you know, I have taken office as Hamilton County Commissioner, which will allow me the opportunity to stay involved in the Recycling and Solid Waste District in a new, County-wide role. This year will be a pivotal time for the Recycling and Solid Waste District, and I look forward to Commissioner Todd Portune’s updates on this important County body. Thanks again to you and the members of the Policy Committee for your service to the County and its residents. I will miss serving with all of you. Please contact me if I can be of assistance moving forward. Best, Dennis Deters Mr. Portune stated that this letter will be accepted as his formal resignation from the Policy Committee. Mr. Portune entertained a motion to accept Commissioner Deters letter of resignation. Ms. Magness moved approval; Ms. Bruggeman seconded. All were in favor and motion was approved. Mr. Ingram asked about the process going forward and who will take this to the Township Association. Ms. Christmann stated that she has sent correspondence to Trustee Wiedman with Sycamore Township to request that it be placed on the next agenda for the Township Association to name a new member.
Mr. Portune stated that there is now a vacancy in the officer’s position of vice-chair of this Committee. The Committee will need to nominate and appoint a new vice-chair. He and Ms. Christmann discussed this item and his thoughts are that the Committee should defer any action on this until a new Township Representative has been chosen and on the Committee. Mr. Portune stated that he was not sure that there is any interest with the Association in having whoever that is serve in that capacity but thinks it is a matter of protocol the Committee should hold off on making that nomination and appointment until they have had a chance to weigh in on the subject.
2. CLERK’S REPORT
A. Approval of Minutes – November 19, 2015 Policy Committee Meeting
Mr. Portune asked if there were any questions or comments on the minutes as drafted and circulated. Hearing no questions or comments, entertained a motion to approve the November 19, 2015 minutes as drafted. Mr. Ingram motioned to approve; Mr. Turchiano seconded. All were in favor and the motion was approved.
B. Additions to the Agenda
There were no additions to the agenda. 3. DISTRICT REVENUE UPDATES/ANALYSIS
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Ms. Christmann stated that Attachment B showed revenue through November 2015 compared to November 2014 and it has increased slightly by about $70,000. Ms. Christmann stated that the District did receive information from Rumpke in early January that some additional waste will be coming back to Rumpke Sanitary Landfill that should increase the District’s revenue to roughly $2.5 million as opposed to the $2.2 million that was initially being projected for 2016. Mr. Portune entertained a motion to approve the revenue report. Ms. Magness moved; Ms. Bruggeman seconded. All were in favor and the motion was approved.
4. POLICY ITEMS
A. Solid Waste Management Plan – Priorities
Ms. Christmann stated that one of the new Ohio EPA requirements for solid waste management plans is to select a priority or priorities that the solid waste district will try and focus on during the plan period in terms of technical assistance, advertising, recycling assistance, etc. to have more of a focused approach to diverting waste from landfills. Ms. Christmann stated that in 2015, all of the analyses papers were discussed and internally, staff has talked in depth about priorities for the Plan Update and recommend two for consideration: organics and paper. Ms. Christmann stated that organics was chosen because food waste and yard trimmings combined are the number one material entering U.S. landfills. There are great opportunities regarding food waste to focus on reduction and also donation. As the Committee is aware, at this time, Hamilton County does not have the infrastructure to compost or anaerobically digest food scraps. Ms. Christmann stated that when staff looked at the opportunities for focusing on reduction and donation, a couple of things were looked at: 1) It is an opportunity to help feed the hungry and 2) It is a great opportunity to also save residents money since the average family of four is throwing away $1,400/year of food. Not only does it help divert materials from landfills but the above are additional benefits. Ms. Christmann stated that at this point, it is unclear as exactly how this will work, because staff would like to bring together stakeholders on how best to put together that type of a program. Obviously, staff will continue to work with the private sector interests in terms of composting or anaerobic digestion and gave examples of what is being done now. Ms. Christmann stated that this would be a new program area for the District with the Plan Update focused on diverting organics from the landfill. Of course, the District is still proposing to continue its yard trimmings drop-off program and still like to include yard trimmings in the Residential Recycling Incentive Program that was discussed in November and continue the backyard composting outreach to residents. Ms. Magness suggested adding two strategies for consideration which would be updating the list of retailers who sell compost bins due to the fluctuation of retailers that offer compost bins. The second being the American Ad Council is launching a food waste reduction campaign as well and thinks that aligning or leveraging this as much as possible with this would be part of this goal. The Committee discussed food waste challenges and anaerobic digestion.
Ms. Christmann stated that the second priority is paper. Paper is the third largest component of waste going to U.S. landfills but is the number one material that Hamilton County residents are landfilling. The District wants to focus on those larger waste streams to make a bigger impact than what the District is already making now. In 2015, a few items were discussed with the Policy Committee about expanding the Recycling At Work Program where schools and businesses are targeted and is where a lot of paper is generated and also additional advertising
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on recycling to let residents and businesses know what they can do. Ms. Christmann stated that staff knows that when it is a well-funded and executed advertising program, the District sees results. Ms. Christmann stated that these are the two recommended to be included in the Plan Update as the key priorities. Obviously, these can change in the five years that the District will be operating under this Plan Update depending on technology, new waste streams entering landfills, etc. There will be flexibility built into the Plan Update that these priorities can be changed if the need arises. Ms. Christmann stated that staff was looking for the Committee’s support to include the two priorities of organics and paper in the Plan Update. Mr. Ingram moved to include these two items in the Solid Waste Plan based on staff’s recommendation. Mr. Turchiano seconded. All were in favor and the motion was approved.
B. Solid Waste Management Plan – Financial Subcommittee Recommendation
Ms. Christmann gave a brief PowerPoint presentation to the Committee which can be seen here: http://www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org/uploads/pdfs/WhoWeAre/PolicyComm/2016/01-21-16/Fee-increase-presentation.pdf Last year, staff provided the Committee with a lengthy financial analysis and in the fall the Committee recommended a financial subcommittee to further examine the District’s financial position and come forward with a recommendation to the Policy Committee on how the District should be funded in the Plan Update which is what the Committee will be hearing about today. Ms. Christmann stated that historic District revenues were at an average high of $2.8 million but then were reduced to an average of $2.1 million which is what caused the Plan Update to start early. What was heard earlier in this meeting was that the District is now projecting revenue to increase up to roughly $2.5 million beginning in 2016. Ms. Christmann stated that the Financial Subcommittee consisted of Commissioner Ingram, Mr. Turchiano, Ms. Bruggeman and Jeff Rumpke. The Subcommittee met twice in 2015 and based on the information presented at the time, which was $2.1 million in revenue, an $.85/ton designation fee was recommended plus the current $1-$2-$1 disposal fee which would generate approximately $2.8 million which is where the District has historically been in terms of expenditures. Ms. Christmann stated that in early January, 2016 when the District received the information that Rumpke was bringing some additional waste back to Hamilton County, the Subcommittee met to revisit if things have changed based on this new information. Ms. Christmann stated that the Subcommittee met on January 12, 2016 and looked at the new financial analyses and financial projections and recommended a $.30/ton designation fee (versus $.85/ton) plus the current $1-$2-$1 to bring the District back to $2.8 million in revenue. Ms. Christmann stated that the Subcommittee looked at two fee mechanisms which were the tiered disposal fee in which the District is under currently and is the lowest allowed by State law and designation fees presented multiple times during Policy Committee meetings. Ms. Christmann stated that, as a refresher, designation allows the District to collect fees on District-generated waste no matter where it goes as long as those receiving landfills agree, by contract, to remit the District’s fee. If designation went through, it would be included in the Plan Update as a designation fee but after the Plan Update is approved, then who ultimately votes and approves the designation fee is the Board of County Commissioners.
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Ms. Christmann stated that there would be a little bit of a gap prior to collecting designation fees. Once the Plan Update is approved, it would go into effect in 2018 but then the District would have to wait for the designation fee to go through the process laid out in the Ohio Revised Code for the Board of County Commissioners to ultimately approve or reject. Ms. Christmann stated that this would probably happen at the earliest in late 2018 but most likely in 2019. If it was approved by the Commissioners then it would go into effect within sixty days. Ms. Christmann stated that what the Subcommittee looked at was if the District had no fee increase, the District would keep expenditures at $2.5 million per year which is roughly what revenue would be. The $2.5 million is about what is being spent now but the budget would be rearranged to meet the priorities and also what has been discussed in 2015 in terms of all of the analyses that have been conducted. Ms. Christmann stated that what would be included in all three fee scenarios is a contingency. If there was no fee increase, the Plan Update would state, if revenue drops below $2.4 million, this is what will be cut from the budget, $2.3 million, this is what would be cut, $2.2 million, the District would pursue a designation fee to increase revenue to $2.5 million. Ms. Christmann passed out a very rough budget based on what staff has analyzed internally and what the Committee has been presented to look at what a $2.5 million budget versus a $2.8 million budget could look like. Ms. Christmann stated that the strength of not going for a fee increase is that there will not be a fee increase. Weaknesses include that staff would recommend reallocating the budget to meet what has been discussed during the analyses and priorities which may mean that some long standing programs may have reductions or eliminations. Ms. Christmann asked if there were questions on not having a fee increase. Ms. Christmann stated that the other option that was looked at was an increase to the disposal fee of $.12-$.24-$.12 which would increase revenue to $2.8 million and a contingency funding source would also be included in the Plan Update. This increase would not be as much to Hamilton County generators however, what this would do is widen the gap between the landfill fees between Hamilton County, Kentucky, and Indiana. Ms. Christmann stated that the Subcommittee talked about this a lot and felt very strongly that they did not want to increase the fee discrepancy amongst the states especially given that Hamilton County is a border county. Ms. Christmann summarized other strengths and weaknesses in the PowerPoint presentation. Ms. Christmann stated that the ultimate recommendation was a tiered disposal fee of $1-$2-$1 plus a $.30/ton designation fee. Any landfill that would want to accept Hamilton County waste would have to sign an agreement and would agree to remit the designation fee back to the District in exchange for being able to take Hamilton County’s waste. Ms. Christmann stated that the $1-$2-$1 disposal fee and a $.30/ton designation fee would bring revenues back up to $2.8 million. Mr. Portune asked how enforceable designation was. Ms. Christmann stated that as heard from Frost, Brown, Todd in 2015, they felt very strongly that this has been tested and it went all the way to the sixth circuit and it was found to rule in favor of the solid waste district. Mr. Ingram stated that Clermont County is using a designation fee and have come up with a fairly interesting way of how they collect and do not collect money. Ms. Christmann stated that there was one landfill that refused to sign their designation agreement and they gave a waiver allowing the hauler to remit the fee as opposed to the landfill. Mr. Portune stated that there was no interstate commerce and stated that there have probably been some challenges to this. Ms. Christmann stated that it was tested in Van Wert County with an Indiana facility.
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Ms. Christmann stated that this was the summary and asked if any of the Financial Subcommittee members would like to add anything but the recommendation is a tiered disposal fee of $1-$2-$1 and a $.30/ton designation fee. Mr. Ingram stated that he would like to add that Ms. Christmann and her staff did an excellent job of preparing the Financial Subcommittee as you might expect in getting members ready for this. The $.30/ton designation fee, and designation fees were discussed a lot, but the typical homeowner in Hamilton County will only see an approximate $.30/year increase which he would think would be fairly measureable based on what programs and benefits they are getting with the District.
Ms. Christmann stated that she did not expect a vote on this today but would expect some feedback for the District so over the next month or so staff can meet with communities, elected officials, and other haulers that service Hamilton County and bring that feedback back to the Committee in March. In March, staff would like an ultimate decision of whether or not to include this in the Plan Update. The Committee discussed designation fees. Mr. Portune asked Ms. Christmann if she wanted direction from the Committee in terms of accepting the recommendations from the Committee today to move forward. Ms. Christmann stated yes, unless there is an emphatic no to the potential increase. What staff will do now is start scheduling meetings with stakeholders to really start diving into this and hearing any concerns that they may have and putting together that return on investment. Mr. Portune stated that if staff was looking for a recommendation from the Committee today that would simply be a recommendation to say to staff that this looks like the way the District is probably going now go out and engage others and collect more information. This is not the final decision because there obviously has not been the kind of public input that is needed for this. This would just be to say, great work by the Financial Subcommittee and thank you all for all your extra work and your hard work on that. Mr. Portune stated but now, the Committee is empowering staff to begin making the circuit and engaging people and getting more input and educating them on where staff thinks this should go in terms of the Plan Update. Ms. Christmann stated that staff would come back in March with that information but staff will need a decision in March to include this in the draft Plan Update or not. Mr. Portune stated yes, because ultimately the Plan Update is the product of a lot more work and votes, etc. Ms. Christmann stated that the draft Plan Update will be submitted to Ohio EPA the end of the summer and then changes will be made and then it goes out to vote by the communities in 2017. Mr. Portune asked if this would give staff enough time between now and March. Ms. Christmann stated yes.
Mr. Portune stated that they all are going to ask what staff has done to get feedback from the residents of the community. Ms. Christmann asked if he was referring to the individual residents. Mr. Portune stated yes. Mr. Portune stated that there are obviously mechanisms that can be deployed and of course one is not suggesting that staff reach out to all 800,000 plus residents in the County but there are ways to conduct surveys, etc. to get a representative sample of what the public feels around this issue. Mr. Portune stated that this will be a question staff gets which is why he is bringing it up now.
Mr. Portune stated that in terms of the timing, asked if the March date and the other dates were the staff’s determination or were these statutory deadlines. Ms. Christmann stated that the dates were in the District’s
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control and staff’s deadline has been to have the Plan Update start in 2018 so it would be cutting it close but could potentially go through until May. Mr. Portune stated that if this could be carried through until May and we could be more thoughtful, deliberative, and comprehensive in getting a true and educated read from the general public, it is worth doing that if we can. In order to do this to spend a little bit of money, he thinks it would be money well spent. Mr. Ingram stated that if Mr. Portune believes that this is what it is going to take, then it is good advice. Mr. Ingram stated that once the survey questions are crafted, it might be nice to send the survey questions past the Committee.
Mr. Portune asked when the draft Plan Update would be submitted to Ohio EPA. Ms. Christmann stated it would be at the end of the summer. Mr. Portune stated that that would be after it was taken to the communities then. Ms. Christmann stated yes. Mr. Portune stated that what is sent to Ohio EPA at the end of the summer will depend on a large measure of what the reaction is from the communities as well. Ms. Christmann stated yes. Mr. Portune stated that at some point we need a lot more public input into this than what we have today and so the question is do we do it now or do we wait until the Plan is presented to the communities and doing the vetting then. But again he thinks they are going to say why are you trying to sell me something that you do not really know whether it is going to pass muster or not. Ms. Christmann stated that she thought it was important to get some feedback now and thinks this is important to the Committee and staff to really hear what the community’s thoughts are. Ms. Christmann stated that staff has had some initial conversations with some larger communities about this but nothing in-depth because staff was not sure the direction the Policy Committee was going and now that staff has a little bit of direction, staff can look more into this. Ms. Christmann stated that this will not be “sold” to communities, it will be a conversation stating that this is what the District is considering and this is what this would mean to you and we want to hear what impacts (positive or negative) this would have on you and your community.
Mr. Portune stated that Ms. Christmann was right, this is a very quick run at this and so over the next couple of months, staff is going to be putting more thought and more detail in how these benefits are described. Mr. Portune stated that he would entertain a motion that the Committee empowers staff to move forward on the recommendations of the Financial Subcommittee with the provision that staff will be developing before or as part of the process that the return on investment will be developed to talk not just about programmatic benefits but also the fiscal benefits of the financial proposal and that under the provision that there will be an effort to professionally obtain public feedback and input into the recommendation. Mr. Turchiano moved; Ms. Bruggeman seconded. All were in favor and the motion was approved.
C. Ohio EPA Grant Applications
Ms. Christmann stated that every year Ohio EPA solicits applications for its community development grant and staff typically seeks Policy Committee approval to apply for those grants. This year, the District is applying on behalf of two organizations: Metro’s Queensgate Bus Garage to purchase a cardboard baler and the City of Cincinnati golf courses to purchase recycling containers each of their six golf courses. Ms. Christmann stated that there are no matching funds coming from the District; just applying on their behalf and being a pass through organization. Ms. Christmann stated that Ms. Walsh oversees this program and does a fabulous job. Ms. Christmann stated that these are two really good grant applications and Ms. Walsh worked with both organizations in the process and staff is recommending approval for both applications.
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The Committee briefly discussed the applications. Ms. Magness asked if she should vote on these or abstain. Ms. Christmann stated that she should probably abstain. Mr. Ingram motioned to approve both applications as presented. Mr. Luehrmann seconded. Ms. Magness abstained. All were in favor and the motion was approved.
5. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
A. 2014 Recycling Rate
Ms. Christmann stated that the District has received back from Ohio EPA on its recycling rate for the year 2014 and is happy to report that the District continues to exceed the State mandated recycling goals with a 32% rate for the residential/commercial sector and a 77% rate for the industrial sector which are both well above the State mandated recycling goals of 25% for the residential/commercial sector and 66% for the industrial sector. Ms. Christmann complimented Ms. Walsh as being the one at the District who gathers all of this information from the recycling facilities and industries to get these numbers. Mr. Portune thanked all of the partners and staff that work on the implementation of all the programs at the District which is why the numbers are so great to begin with. Mr. Ingram asked that if looking at 5 years of trend data, are the numbers leveling off or increasing. Ms. Christmann stated that industrial has stayed pretty consistent between 75% - 80% and residential/commercial has dipped just a bit but not much and it once was a high of 38% and now it is at 32% but it is really a function of the voluntary surveys.
6. TENTATIVE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
There were no future agenda items at this time. 7. POLICY COMMITTEE MEMBERS’ COMMENTS
Mr. Ingram stated that he wanted to recognize Libby Edwards from Miami University in the audience who is shadowing Hamilton County Public Health. Ms. Edwards is a fourth year student and a fellow Miami student. Miami started an Ohio Public Policy Leaders Institute and Ms. Edwards is a Public Administrations Major. Mr. Ingram briefly spoke about what she has been doing.
8. PUBLIC COMMENTS
Ms. Christmann stated that she is not sure if she mentioned this before but the District received Metro’s Partner of the Year Award at their annual awards ceremony. Ms. Walsh worked closely with them on all of their sustainability initiatives at Metro. Mr. Portune asked if any of the public would like to speak. Hearing none, thanked the students from Cincinnati State for having an interest in the work of the Committee. Ms. Fallon thanked staff for letting the class attend the meeting. Ms. Magness stated that the new sustainability coordinator for Metro is Kim Lahman and this is a new position that was created and she pretty much started as the first recycling ambassador volunteer. Ms. Magness suggested that the Cincinnati State class volunteer for something that they are interested in because it could lead to a good job.
9. UPCOMING DISTRICT MEETINGS
The next Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste Policy Committee meeting will be held on Thursday, March 17, 2016. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. at Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services located at 250 William Howard Taft Road - First Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219.
10. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned by acclamation at 2:48 p.m.
Line Item
2018 $2.8 M Budget
(fee increase)
2018 $2.5M Budget
(no fee increase) 2016 Budget
Personnel $594,856 $594,856 $511,472
Administrative $91,145 $91,145 $97,660
Residential Recycling
Incentive $950,000 $800,000 $1,050,000
Awareness Campaign $100,000 $100,000 $31,700
Underperforming $30,000 $30,000 $0
Commercial Recycling
Marketing $25,000 $15,000 $0
Signage $5,000 $5,000 $0
Containers $28,000 $28,000 $5,000
Priority Waste Stream $110,000 $85,000 $0
Yard Trimmings Assistance $221,000 $221,000 $220,845
Illegal Dump
Enforcement/tire collection $120,000 $120,000 $20,000
Website/digital technology $20,000 $10,000 $0
Household Hazardous Waste $100,000 $0 $20,000
Residential Workshops $5,000 $5,000 $3,500
Health Dept. $350,000 $350,000 $398,064
Pollution Prevention $22,000 $22,000 $13,800
School awareness $21,750 $21,750 $18,250
Public Recycling $1,000 $1,000 $800
Litter Collection $0 $0 $27,000
Multi-Family Recycling $0 $0 $5,750
School Recycling $0 $0 $5,500
Priority Grant $0 $0 $75,000
Total $2,794,751 $2,499,751 $2,504,341
Staff Recommended Programs and Budget
Staff Recommended $2.5 Million Budget
Program Name Budget
Residential Recycling $930,000
The Residential Recycling Program includes the following three components:
� Incentive Program: $800,000 provided to communities based on a community’s recycling rate and tons
recycled. Yard trimmings will be added as an eligible material. The proposed budget is reduced from
$1,050,000.
� Awareness: $100,000 to conduct robust residential recycling advertising campaigns to increase the
amount of material diverted from landfills. This is a significant increase over previous years’ budgets.
District staff will develop an annual marketing plan with approval from the Policy Committee.
� Underperforming: $30,000 devoted to working with communities to improve their recycling program.
Depending on the community’s needs, the assistance provided could include outreach and technical
assistance to improve the residential recycling infrastructure.
Personnel $594,856
This category contains funding for all District positions and partial funding for several Department of
Environmental Services employees. The budget includes funding for the addition of one staff member focused
on setting up recycling programs in the commercial sector.
Health Departments $350,000
The District contracts with the Cincinnati Health Department and Hamilton County Public Health to enforce solid
waste laws. The proposed budget is reduced compared with previous years. Typically, $398,064 is budgeted,
with an average expenditure of $358,201 per year.
Yard Trimmings Assistance $221,000
The District will continue its contractual operation of three yard trimmings drop-off sites, as long as the need
continues. The program will be analyzed on an annual basis with any recommended changes being approved by
the Policy Committee.
Environmental Crimes Taskforce $120,000
The District will work with the Hamilton County Sheriff to designate a deputy towards the investigation of illegal
dumping and enforcement of existing laws, with an initial focus on tire dumping. The District will continue to
provide grant funding to Keep Cincinnati Beautiful to conduct tire clean-ups and collection events throughout
Hamilton County, however, the District anticipates the need for this grant to slowly decline as enforcement
improves.
Administrative $91,145
Administrative costs include everything from legal service to building-related costs and indirect costs for use of
County services.
Priority Waste Streams $85,000
The District has identified paper and organics (food waste and yard trimmings) as the priority waste streams. In
order to adequately address these waste streams, the District will set aside funds to be used once staff
researches and develops specific programs. Priority waste stream programs could include a food waste
reduction campaign, partnerships to promote food recovery, or seed money to assist in project development
targeted toward paper or organics.
The District will annually review the priorities based on changing waste streams, technology, and stakeholder
needs. Any recommended changes will be presented to the Policy Committee for their approval.
Commercial Recycling $48,000
Through this program the District provides assistance to start a recycling program, interior recycling containers,
and employee education. The technical assistance programs target all commercial businesses, schools, and
other institutional entities in the county. In addition to working with businesses to implement a recycling
program, the District offers advice on waste reduction and reuse best practices.
This program encompasses current District programs of Recycling at Work, Bar and Restaurant Recycling, and
Recycling Assistance Program (for schools). An additional staff member will be added to improve the reach of
this program (accounted for under Personnel). The District will budget more funds for marketing and supplies
for this assistance.
Pollution Prevention Internship $22,000
The Southwest Ohio Pollution Prevention Internship Program is a regional program involving Hamilton, Butler,
and Montgomery county solid waste districts. Through this program, college students are recruited, trained, and
placed at an industry where they help develop and implement waste reduction and pollution prevention
projects. Participating industries share the cost of the interns’ salary with the solid waste districts. The District
intends to budget enough funds to cover the District’s portion of two intern salaries and the necessary training.
School Awareness $21,750
School awareness includes the following components:
� Presentations: The District will continue offering classroom programs and assemblies on recycling and
composting presented by both in-house staff and contracted educators. To qualify for assemblies and
certain classroom presentations, a school must have an operating recycling program. $11,000 is
budgeted for presentations.
� Field Trips: The District will provide solid waste-related field trips and reimburse schools for the cost of
transportation. To qualify for field trips, a school must have an operating recycling program. $10,750 is
budgeted for field trips.
Digital Technology $10,000
With the rapidly changing nature of digital media, the District will budget funds to adapt its communication
strategy in an effort to better reach our target audiences. An example of an expense could be the development
of a mobile app.
Adult Education Seminars $5,000
The District will continue to offer seminars focused on pertinent topics such as backyard composting, waste
reduction, and recycling. District staff will determine the topics each year which will change based on need and
demand.
Public Recycling $1,000
The District will continue to loan outdoor recycling containers to encourage recycling at public events. The
District provides technical assistance, containers and plastic liners for free and the event organizers are
responsible for collecting and recycling the material.
No Cost Programs
The Interchange
The District will continue The Interchange, an online materials exchange catalog and newsletter that allows
businesses and organizations to save money on waste disposal and raw material costs by facilitating connections
that keep by-products from entering the waste stream. The District will consider ways to improve the look and
functionality of the online exchange service with the implementation of a new website.
E-newsletters
The District will continue to distribute two electronic newsletters: one targeted to schools; one targeted to
community leaders and elected officials.
Staff Recommended $2.8 Million Budget
Program Name Budget
Residential Recycling $1,080,000
The Residential Recycling Program includes the following three components:
� Incentive Program: $950,000 provided to communities based on a community’s recycling rate and tons
recycled. Yard trimmings will be added as an eligible material. The proposed budget is reduced from
$1,050,000.
� Awareness: $100,000 to conduct robust residential recycling advertising campaigns to increase the
amount of material diverted from landfills. This is a significant increase over previous years’ budgets.
District staff will develop an annual marketing plan with approval from the Policy Committee.
� Underperforming: $30,000 devoted to working with communities to improve their recycling program.
Depending on the community’s needs, the assistance provided could include outreach and technical
assistance to improve the residential recycling infrastructure.
Personnel $594,856
This category contains funding for all District positions and partial funding for several Department of
Environmental Services employees. The budget includes funding for the addition of one staff member focused
on setting up recycling programs in the commercial sector.
Health Departments $350,000
The District contracts with the Cincinnati Health Department and Hamilton County Public Health to enforce solid
waste laws. The proposed budget is reduced compared with previous years. Typically, $398,064 is budgeted,
with an average expenditure of $358,201/year.
Yard Trimmings Assistance $221,000
The District will continue its contractual operation of three yard trimmings drop-off sites, as long as the need
continues. The program will be analyzed on an annual basis with any recommended changes being approved by
the Policy Committee.
Environmental Crimes Taskforce $120,000
The District will work with the Hamilton County Sheriff to designate a deputy towards the investigation of illegal
dumping and enforcement of existing laws, with an initial focus on tire dumping. The District will continue to
provide grant funding to Keep Cincinnati Beautiful to conduct tire clean-ups and collection events throughout
Hamilton County, however, the District anticipates the need for this grant to slowly decline as enforcement
improves.
Priority Waste Streams $110,000
The District has identified paper and organics (food waste and yard trimmings) as the priority waste streams. In
order to adequately address these waste streams, the District will set aside funds to be used once staff
researches and develops specific programs. Priority waste stream programs could include a food waste
reduction campaign, partnerships to promote food recovery, or seed money to assist in project development
targeted toward paper or organics.
The District will annually review the priorities based on changing waste streams, technology, and stakeholder
needs. Any recommended changes will be presented to the Policy Committee for their approval.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection $100,000
The District will conduct a collection event for household hazardous waste, with a focus on finding a regional
collection center.
Administrative $91,145
Administrative costs include everything from legal service to building-related costs and indirect costs for use of
County services.
Commercial Recycling $58,000
Through this program the District provides assistance to start a recycling program, interior recycling containers,
and employee education. The technical assistance programs target all commercial businesses, schools, and
other institutional entities in the county. In addition to working with businesses to implement a recycling
program, the District offers advice on waste reduction and reuse best practices.
This program encompasses current District programs of Recycling at Work, Bar and Restaurant Recycling, and
Recycling Assistance Program (for schools). An additional staff member will be added to improve the reach of
this program (accounted for under Personnel). The District will budget more funds for marketing and supplies
for this assistance.
Pollution Prevention Internship $22,000
The Southwest Ohio Pollution Prevention Internship Program is a regional program involving Hamilton, Butler,
and Montgomery county solid waste districts. Through this program, college students are recruited, trained, and
placed at an industry where they help develop and implement waste reduction and pollution prevention
projects. Participating industries share the cost of the interns’ salary with the solid waste districts. The District
intends to budget enough funds to cover the District’s portion of two intern salaries and the necessary training.
School Awareness $21,750
School awareness includes the following components:
� Presentations: The District will continue offering classroom programs and assemblies on recycling and
composting presented by both in-house staff and contracted educators. To qualify for assemblies and
certain classroom presentations, a school must have an operating recycling program. $11,000 is
budgeted for presentations.
� Field Trips: The District will provide solid waste-related field trips and reimburse schools for the cost of
transportation. To qualify for field trips, a school must have an operating recycling program. $10,750 is
budgeted for field trips.
Digital Technology $20,000
With the rapidly changing nature of digital media, the District will budget funds to adapt its communication
strategy in an effort to better reach our target audiences. An example of an expense could be the development
of a mobile app.
Adult Education Seminars $5,000
The District will continue to offer seminars focused on pertinent topics such as backyard composting, waste
reduction, and recycling. District staff will determine the topics each year which will change based on need and
demand.
Public Recycling $1,000
The District will continue to loan outdoor recycling containers to encourage recycling at public events. The
District provides technical assistance, containers and plastic liners for free and the event organizers are
responsible for collecting and recycling the material.
No Cost Programs
The Interchange
The District will continue The Interchange, an online materials exchange catalog and newsletter that allows
businesses and organizations to save money on waste disposal and raw material costs by facilitating connections
that keep by-products from entering the waste stream. The District will consider ways to improve the look and
functionality of the online exchange service with the implementation of a new website.
E-newsletters
The District will continue to distribute two electronic newsletters: one targeted to schools; one targeted to
community leaders and elected officials.
Program
Tons collected 50 Tons Collected 0 Tons collected 57
Households served 1,500 Households served 0 Households served 1,570
Customers served 33,000 Customers served 6,243 Customers served 23,851
Tons diverted from landfill 2,600 Tons diverted from landfill 424 Tons diverted from landfill 2,656
Tires collected 9,900 Tires collected 3,837 Tires collected 8,142
Participating communities 12 Participating communities 6 Participating communities 20
Events using District containers 100 Events using District containers 60 Events using District containers 249
Residents reached 100,000 Residents reached 74,480 Residents reached 362,510
New events using programs 20 New events using programs 7 New events using programs 55
Litter Collection Tons of litter collected 200 Tons of litter collected 30 Tons of litter collected 155
Residential Recycling IncentiveProvide funding to communities based on
tons recycled.
Tons diverted for 2015 grants 600 Tons diverted for 2015 grants 82 Tons diverted for 2015 grants 167
Number of residents reached 789,000 Number of residents reached 149,499 Number of residents reached 261,442
Tons of manufacturing capacity added Tons of manufacturing capacity added 1,548 Tons of manufacturing capacity added 1,548
Grants completed 1 Grants completed 0 Grants completed0
Community Development Grants Grants received or completed 2 Grants received or completed 0 Grants received or completed 4
Participating firms/students 2 Participating firms/students 0 Participating firms/students 2
Tons of waste diverted Tons of waste diverted 0 Tons of waste diverted 4
Projected cost savings Projected cost savings 0 Projected cost savings 21,000
Inquiries 20 Inquiries 6 Inquiries 22
New listings 10 New listings 2 New listings 7
Tons diverted 10 Tons diverted 1 Tons diverted 68
2015 Performance Measures
Yardwaste Drop-off Sites
Performance Measure 4th Quarter Results Year to Date Results
Direct Service Programs
Household Hazardous Waste
Tire Clean-ups (KCB and OEPA
grants)
Public Recycling
Grant Programs
District Priority Grant
Market Development Grants
Technical Assistance
Pollution Prevention Internships
The Interchange
Program
2015 Performance Measures
Performance Measure 4th Quarter Results Year to Date Results
New recycling programs 6 New recycling programs 0 New recycling programs 5
Tons of estimated diversion 60 Tons of estimated diversion 14 Tons of estimated diversion 104
General Technical Assistance Hotline calls received 6,000 Hotline calls received 1,220 Hotline calls received 6,515
Schools implementing new and/or expanding
existing recycling programs17
Schools implementing new and/or
expanding existing recycling
programs
6
Schools implementing new and/or
expanding existing recycling
programs
30
Total schools assisted with supplies and/or
technical assistance30
Total schools assisted with supplies
and/or technical assistance10
Total schools assisted with supplies
and/or technical assistance42
Facilities initiating recycling 35 Facilities initiating recycling 13 Facilities initiating recycling 38
Employees 2,500 Employees 2,107 Employees 3,637
Bar/Restaurant Recycling Businesses starting recycling 15 Businesses starting recycling 4 Businesses starting recycling 21
Tons recycled increase 1,000 Tons recycled increase 0 Tons recycled increase 0
Unique visitors to website 70,000 Unique visitors to website 22,048 Unique visitors to website 98,453
Facebook followers 1,200 Facebook followers 6 Facebook followers 1,165
Twitter followers 1,350 Twitter followers 42 Twitter followers 1,556
LinkedIn followers 70 LinkedIn followers 5 LinkedIn followers 77
Compost blog page views 65,000 Compost blog page views 19,356 Compost blog page views 78,966
Media clips 300 Media clips 19 Media clips 57
Target Communities Townships contracting for recycling 2 Townships contracting for recycling 0 Townships contracting for recycling 2
People reached 1,000 People reached 515 People reached 3,372
Events attended 5 Events attended 3 Events attended 18
General Presentations Number of presentations 8 Number of presentations 2 Number of presentations 16
Students reached 6,000 Students reached 1,444 Students reached 8,348
Presentations and field trips 120 Presentations and field trips 40 Presentations and field trips 196
Residents reached 500 Adults reached 0 Adults reached 420
Workshops 6 Workshops 0 Workshops 10
Buildings recycling 5 Buildings recycling 0 Buildings recycling 5
Outreach/Awareness
Multi-family Assistance
Recycling Assistance Program
(Schools)
Recycling At Work
General Public Outreach/Marketing
Special Events
School Based Programs
Composting Workshops
Recycling in County Buildings
Program
2015 Performance Measures
Performance Measure 4th Quarter Results Year to Date Results
Tons recycled 24 Tons recycled 8 Tons recycled 35
Annual Awards Program Participants 50 Participants 65 Participants 65
Submit report to OEPA complete and on-
timeReport submitted on time
Response rate for commercial recycling
survey30%
Response rate for commercial
recycling surveyna
Response rate for commercial
recycling survey 57
Response rate for industrial recycling survey 30%Response rate for industrial recycling
surveyna
Response rate for industrial recycling
survey8
Solid Waste Plan Update Complete tasks according to timeline. All analyses completed All analyses completed
WasteLine newsletter Government officials reached 500 Government officials reached 789 Government officials reached 1,447
Education newsletter Teachers reached 685 Teachers reached 551 Teachers reached 1,146
The Interchange newsletter Subscribers reached 500 Subscribers reached 479 Business representatives newsletter 880
Leadership
Association of Ohio Recyclers Meeting attended 10 Meeting attended 3 Meeting attended 12
Regional solid waste meetings Meetings organized and attended 2 Meetings organized and attended 1 Meetings organized and attended 2
Green Umbrella
Participate in GU Waste Reduction Action
Team. Implement programs identified by
committee
Paper reduction campaign launched Campaign launched 0
Planning
Publications
Recycling in County Buildings
Data Management/Reporting
OEPA Annual District Report
2016 Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District Work Plan
Program Staff
Responsible
Primary Staff
Supporting
Program Date Planning/Admin Performance Measure Description/Results/Comments
Direct Service Programs
Yard Trimmings Drop-
Off Sites Susan Michelle 3/19 – 11/27 Year-long
• Drop-off visits: 24,000
• Tons diverted from landfill: 2,600
District operates three yardwaste drop-off sites. Go out to
bid for 2017+ program.
Tire Clean-ups Michelle Primarily 2nd
quarter Year-long
• Tires collected: 5,000
• Participating communities: 14
Tire collection activities include KCB Great American
Cleanup and Make a Difference Day. Complete
implementation and close out OEPA grant.
Public Recycling
Program Cher
Year-long, busiest in
3rd
quarter Year-long
• Events using District containers: 110
• Residents reached: 100,000
• New events using programs: 25
District provides outdoor recycling containers and
technical assistance to community events and festivals.
Serve on the Flying Pig Marathon green committee.
Litter Collection
Program Michelle Year-long Year-long
• Tons of litter collected: 200 Provide funding to Hamilton County Sheriff to conduct
litter collections in 9 communities.
Grant Programs
Residential Recycling
Incentive Program Michelle Susan
January/February and
July/ August 1
st and 3
rd quarters
• Provide funding to communities based
on tons recycled.
Distribute $1,050,000 to participating communities. The
higher a community’s recycling rate, the more dollars
received.
District Priority Grant Cher Michelle Year-long Year-long, applications
in 4th quarter
• Tons diverted for 2016 grants
• Number of residents reached: 100,00
Grants for recycling projects in Hamilton County based on
priorities set by the Policy Committee.
Market Development
Grants Catherine 4
th quarter 4
th quarter
• Grants completed: 1 OEPA provides grants to businesses in an effort to expand
the end markets for recyclables. Businesses apply through
the District. Applications are available in October and due
in the beginning of February.
Community
Development Grants Catherine Megan Year-long Year-long
• Grants completed: 1
OEPA provides funding to increase recycling. Interested
organizations can apply through the District. Reuse Grant
needs to be finished implementing and closed out. New
applications will be considered in 4th
quarter.
Program Staff
Responsible
Primary Staff
Supporting
Program Date Planning/Admin Performance Measure Description/Results/Comments
Technical Assistance Programs
Pollution Prevention
Internships Catherine May - August Year-long
• Participating firms/students - 2
• Tons of waste diverted
• Projected cost savings
Placement of interns at industrial facilities to help identify
waste reduction and recycling opportunities.
The Interchange
Online Exchange Susan Catherine Year-long Year-long
• Inquiries and new listings: 30
• Visits to catalog pages: 950
• Tons diverted
An online materials exchange catalog for businesses.
Implement improvement plan to increase participation.
Multi-Family Program Cher and
Catherine Year-long Year-long
• New recycling programs: 6
• Residents reached: 1,000
• Tons of estimated diversion: 60
Funds available to assist multi-family dwellings implement
recycling programs.
General Technical
Assistance Susan Cher and Jenny Year-long Year-long
• Hotline calls received: 6,500
• Website inquiries
Answer/check VM for Recycling Hotline; track/enter calls in
database; respond to web inquiries
Recycling Assistance
Program Cher Jenny Year-long Year-long
• Schools implementing new and expanding
existing recycling programs: 17
• Students and staff reached through new/
expanded programs: 8,500
• Total schools assisted with supplies and/or
technical assistance: 30
Provide technical assistance and funding to implement
recycling programs in schools.
Recycling At Work Catherine Year-long Year-long • Facilities initiating recycling: 60
• Employees: 4,000
Provide assistance and funding to implement commercial and
institutional recycling programs.
Bar and Restaurant
Recycling Jenny Catherine Year-long Year-long
• Businesses starting recycling: 10 Provide technical assistance to implement bar recycling
programs.
Outreach/Awareness
General Public
Outreach and
Marketing
Megan Michelle Year-long Year-long
• Unique visitors to website: 96,000
• Facebook followers: 1,242
• Twitter followers: 1,835
• LinkedIn followers: 90
• Compost blog page views: 80,000
• Media clips: 250
Implement strategies designed to increase awareness of
waste reduction, recycling, and composting.
Household Hazardous
Waste
Michelle and
Megan Susan Spring Year-long
• Percent opening email: 45%
• Webpage visits: 20,500
Create and implement a campaign to educate residents on
HHW reduction and permanent outlets for materials.
Targeted
Communities Michelle Holly Spring Year-long
• Townships contracting for recycling: 2 Working with townships to bid out waste and recycling
services. Work with other townships as needed.
Public Events Jenny Cher Year-long Year-long • People reached: 400
• Events attended: 3
Focus on large events.
Program Staff
Responsible
Primary Staff
Supporting
Program Date Planning/Admin Performance Measure Description/Results/Comments
General
Presentations All Year-long Year-long
• Number of presentations: 12 Conduct presentations to stakeholders/adults promoting the
District and programs. Extra presentations may be necessary
with Plan Update in progress.
School Based
Programs Jenny Cher
1st
, 2nd
, and 4th
quarters Year-long
• Students and adults reached: 7,500
• Assemblies and classroom programs: 100
• Field trips: 20
• Special events: 3
In class activities designed to teach children about
recycling. Organize trips to landfill, recycling facilities and
compost demonstration sites.
Composting Seminars Jenny Susan and
Michelle Late March- May
1st
, 2nd
, and 3rd
Quarters
• Residents reached: 240
• Number of workshops: 4
Conduct backyard composting series for adults.
Annual Awards
Program Joy All November 3
rd Quarter
• Participants: 50
Determine how program could be funded, seek sponsorships,
and implement program if funding is available.
Data Management/Reporting
OEPA Annual District
Report Holly/Catherine 4/1/16 6/1/16
• Report submitted to OEPA complete and
on-time
• Conduct commercial and industrial
recycling survey: 30% response rate.
District reporting requirement to OEPA.
Health Department
Contracts Brad Holly Year-long Year-long
Manage contracts with the Hamilton County and Cincinnati
health departments for waste-related inspections and
enforcement.
Planning
Solid Waste Plan
Update Holly Michelle Year-long Year-long
• Implement all tasks in the 2016 timeline. Continue work updating District’s 15 year solid waste
management plan.
Publications
Waste Line E-
Newsletter Michelle Megan 1
st and 3
rd quarters 1
st and 3
rd quarters
• Elected officials reached: 700
Electronic newsletter targeted to elected officials and
community contacts updating them on District activities.
Education Newsletter Cher Jenny and Joy 1
st, 2
nd, and 4
th
quarters 1
st, 2
nd, and 4
th quarters
• Teachers reached : 550
Electronic newsletter targeted to teachers updating them on
pertinent solid waste information.
The Interchange
Newsletter Catherine Joy
Newsletters
published quarterly
Newsletters published
quarterly
• Subscribers reached: 500
Quarterly e-newsletter informing on waste reduction,
recycling, success stories, and District programs.
Leadership
Regional Solid Waste
Meetings Holly Michelle Year-long Year-long • Meetings organized and attended: 2
Organize quarterly meetings with southwest Ohio solid waste
management districts.
Green Umbrella Holly and
Catherine
Year-long Year-long
• Participate in Green Umbrella Waste
Reduction Action Team. Implement
programs identified by committee.
Assist waste reduction action team implement “year of
paper” campaign.