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Solid Waste Committee for Trenton, Maine
Town of Trenton Solid Waste
Committee
Agenda
for November 5, 2008 meeting
1.
Attendees:
2. Administrative:
-Vote to accept minutes from October
1, 2008 meeting
New and Old Business
by category:
3. Separation of waste materials
Bulk of separables:
Cardboard & Paper
dumpsters – Tarps are disintegrating quickly. Don’t replace?
Occasional plastic
bags found in paper dumpster. Not a big problem?
Call and dumping
schedule seems okay for now. Continue to police.
No information yet
on weights collected.
Containers (plastic, glass,
metal) – Recommended to Selectmen at their 10/7/08 meeting that
dumpster be obtained. They agreed
but deferred until speaking to plowman at 10/21/08 meeting. Deferred again? Will be ordered by Janet when Selectmen
give go-ahead.
Fruit/vegetable/plant composting
– deferred until spring?
Minority: (discuss MDIHS
event? Nothing else?)
Bulky
Construction Debris
Metal
Hazardous (batteries, mercury
bulbs, computers) – MDIHS event 10/11/08.
Remaining MSW – nothing
to discuss
4. Bypassing ‘middleman’
Possible curbside pickup and
take directly to PERC? On hold for
now?
5. Communication:
Website – Status quo. Members are encouraged to check it out
and send suggestions to Tom via email.
Mailing – no current mailing
plans
Town TV – nothing to discuss?
Radio Public Service
announcements – nothing to discuss
Newspaper Public Service or town
section notice – Peter?
Education (schools, etc.) –
Peter & Bob “trash fair” proposal
6. Other old or new business:
-status of Eastern Maine
Recycling (EMR) contract. Selectmen
talking to Ellsworth?
-Maine Municipal Association
Annual Convention – October 8-9, 2008.
Did anyone go?
7. Identified Action Items:
8. Adjourn meeting
Next
meeting is Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 7PM in the town office.
Meeting
minutes for November 5, 2008 (as accepted December 3, 2008)
Attendees: Mike
Gilmartin, Dotty Young, Eric White, Peter Rees, Bob Kates, Tom Sproule
Administrative:
Paper copies of the minutes from October
1, 2008 meeting were not available for review this evening. Bob motioned that we accept the minutes
from the email sent by Tom to committee members this past week. Mike seconded. Minutes were accepted by a vote of 5 for,
0 against and 1 abstention.
Separation
of waste materials:
Cardboard & Paper
dumpsters – Several issues were discussed concerning these
dumpsters:
First, the tarps are disintegrating
quickly. The committee decided that moisture infiltration is a significant
concern, and that we should not give up on the covering the dumpsters with
tarps. Action item: Eric will
look into purchasing heavier duty tarps, and bungee cords to tie them down
(instead of rope).
Tom mentioned finding paper wrapped
in plastic bags in recycling dumpster on multiple occasions. The Committee identified three ways in
which we can try to educate town residents, so they do not continue to
place plastic bags in the dumpsters.
Action items: Bob will
post signs on the dumpsters themselves.
Tom will add notices to
the solid waste website. Mike will talk to Janet Muise about
placing a notice on the town cable TV channel.
Tom told the committee that he has
just seen the first recycling tonnage information from EMR since we began
using the dumpsters, and that the figures apparently lump everything together. The committee felt it would be useful if
we could determine how much weight is specifically being collected in our
town office dumpsters. Action item: Tom will look into getting the more
specific weight information, either through Janet Muise or speaking with
someone at EMR.
Containers (plastic, glass,
metal) – We recommended to Selectmen at their 10/7/08 meeting that
dumpster be obtained. They agreed
but deferred until speaking to plowman at 10/21/08 meeting. Apparently the plowman was not there, so
the issue may have been deferred again.
Once the issue is settled, the third dumpster will be ordered by
Janet. Action item: Tom will attend the next Selectmen meeting
11/18/08 to make sure the request for the third dumpster does not get
dropped.
Hazardous (batteries, mercury
bulbs, computers) – There was minimal reporting by Bob, Peter and Tom
of the MDIHS Hazardous Waste collection event which took place on 10/11/08. It was very busy and very successful.
Communication:
Newspaper Public Service or
town section notice – Peter has interviewed with Steve Fay of the
Ellsworth American, and presented him with some information concerning
Trenton’s recycling efforts. The
American has run at least two stories on recycling efforts in Gouldsboro.
They have not run a story on Trenton yet.
Education (schools, etc.)
– Peter & Bob presented ideas for hold “trash fairs” in local schools
to raise student awareness of waste and recycling issues. They have a list of contact persons for
some of the area grade schools, and preliminary ideas for fair structure. Peter was given informal committee
approval to continue pursuing this idea.
Other old or
new business:
Status of Eastern Maine
Recycling (EMR) contract – Information was presented by Bob Kates. The Selectmen apparently plan to follow
the Acadia Disposal District (ADD) proposal of accepting the EMR contract
EXCEPT for the price schedule, which will then be negotiated further by ADD
representatives. The Selectmen have
also started talks with Ellsworth concerning possibly using their transfer
station as a destination for our solid waste. Mike Hodgkins is the Selectman assigned
to explore this further. He has a
more formal meeting with Ellsworth representatives scheduled for Thursday,
11/13/08. Bob, Peter and Tom might
each also attend that meeting.
Maine Municipal Association
Annual Convention – October 8-9, 2008.
No one on our committee went to the convention, so there was nothing
to report.
Bob
announced that he is moving to Bangor for the winter on December 1. He will not expect to attend any of our
Solid Waste Committee meetings over the winter unless he happens to be in
the area.
Adjourn
meeting
The
meeting was adjourned at 8:00PM. The
next meeting is Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 7PM in the town office.
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