Solid Waste & Recycling Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes

City of Gardiner

Solid Waste & Recycling Advisory Committee

July 24, 2023

4:30pm

Members present: Judy Dorsey; John Cameron, Public Works Director; Terry Berry, City Councilor; Kathy Brown, City Councilor; Nancy Rines, Kelly Hare, Public Works Admin.

1. Review and approval of June 29, 2023 minutes

Kathy made a motion to approve the minutes.

John seconded the motion.

Vote is unanimous to accept the motion.

1. Status report and final decisions regarding community survey

Judy reports that due to lack of communication with Megan regarding the community survey, the committee is at a standstill. Kathy added she would attempt to contact Megan in hopes of getting the survey turned over to the committee.

1. Review of Kathy Brown’s meeting with City Manager Andrew Carlton and City Clerk Kathy Cutler

Kathy Brown spoke with Kathy Cutler and Andrew Carlton about how to proceed with the distribution of the survey and collection of data. Two avenues were discussed, an E-survey, as well as hard copies. The suggestion is to distribute a flyer via Facebook, the City of Gardiner app, as well as posted in City Hall, which will invite people to take the survey, which they can access via QR code or a website printed on the flyer. City Hall will manage the survey results through Google Docs and pass them along to the committee.

Kathy presented the flyer for the group to review. Some suggestions of changes to make to the flyer are:

1. Add the wording ‘and businesses’ to the heading on the flyer so that it states; ‘Attention Gardiner Residents and Businesses’.
2. Make hard copies of the survey available at City Hall and the Library, and note this at the bottom of the flyer.
3. Add the return due date to the bottom of the flyer – 12/1/2023.
4. Note on the flyer to return to City Hall either inside or to the drop box out front.

Andy and Kathy Cutler suggested running the survey for one month and coinciding this with the elections allowing citizens to have the opportunity to access it when they come in to vote.

Other suggestions from committee members:

• -to add the survey in with the sewer bill which will go out mid to late October.
• -to notify residents of the survey through the Gardiner group on Facebook.
• -to include a hard copy of the survey with the tax bill mailing.

Other suggestions/requests made by Kathy Cutler and Andrew Carlton:

• To develop a ‘one pager’ for new residents with options for trash and recycling within Gardiner as well as options for yard debris, etc.

 Judy noted it is difficult to let people know what is available at this time because our trash haulers are not doing what our ordinance requires because they do not have anywhere to bring the recycling, and that she would speak to Kathy Cutler to update her on this.

• To advertise the availability of composting bins and rain barrels made available to citizens of Gardiner.

John Cameron noted there are no more composting bins or rain barrels available at no cost. Judy noted these are expensive, and therefore she holds a sale every three years or so for those who are interested. She works with Maine Resource Recovery Association and does get a discount on a large order and she is willing to do this if necessary.

1. New Business

Nancy would like to discuss the last meetings presentation. She did not realize Troiano is only a weigh station for trash and is disappointed about this. Judy and Terry noted that it appears that Troiano is willing to talk about other options for citizens to pay for trash, for example a special trash bag, which includes the cost of trash disposal in the cost of the bag. Although Troiano operates with a weigh in weigh out system, this is not the plan for residential waste and the only thing not included at this time is a residential recycling program. Terry added it appears Troiano is open to discussion and willing to do what they can to make this work.

Judy noted we would devote the next meeting to this discussion to ensure more time to discuss and that more members are present for decision-making.

1. Next Meeting

Suggestions for next meeting:

-Invite Riverside to discuss what they have to offer

-Kathy would like to discuss adding to the survey an inquiry asking if citizens are willing to pay $15 to dispose of a bag of trash right here in Gardiner vs. travelling to Augusta.

-Invite Andrew Carleton, City Manager to the next meeting

Terry noted it is difficult to make decisions not knowing what the timeline is for what Augusta will do. Judy added she has attended Augusta’s City Council meetings in which Hatch Hill was on the agenda. The City of Augusta has compiled data in regards to the Hatch Hill Landfill and are reviewing it to see if a vertical expansion is possible. There are talks about possibly putting a limit on how much waste the communities are able to dispose of to ensure that if the expansion does take place, it does not fill up any faster than it has to.

Various members raised concerns that without the survey, it is difficult to move forward. Terry noted that historically, when a committee member is unable to do their job and return material, they may have to be asked to resign. Kathy will attempt to reach out to Megan to obtain the survey so the committee can move forward with it, and Judy will reach out to Andrew Carlton to invite him to the next meeting.

Meeting adjourned - 5:13pm