Title
Approval of a Resolution Authorizing an Interlocal Agreement Between the City of Olympia and Thurston County to Adopt the Thurston County Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to sign the Interlocal Agreement to adopt the Thurston County Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to sign the Interlocal Agreement to adopt the Thurston County Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan
Staff Contact:
Gary Franks, Waste Resources Director, Public Works Department, 360-753-8780
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item.
Background and Analysis:
The Thurston County Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is a six-year plan required by the Washington State Department of Ecology. The SWMP recommends strategies for how solid waste generated in Thurston County will be managed over the next six to twenty years as required by the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 70A.205.
Cities and counties share the responsibility for developing and maintaining a local solid waste management plan. RCW 70.95.080 provides cities with alternatives for satisfying their planning responsibilities. The City of Olympia addresses this through an agreement with the county to prepare a joint city-county plan as a “participating City”.
The City of Olympia has been a stakeholder in the SWMP development process, providing comments on the draft(s) and participating in public meetings. In addition to staff involvement, the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC), made up of elected officials, citizens and industry representatives, makes recommendations to the Thurston County Board of Commissioners on policy issues affecting Thurston County’s solid waste programs. The SWAC has played an integral role in the development of a six-year SWMP to help guide how Thurston County and cities manage waste now and into the future. Councilmember Cooper has represented Olympia on the SWAC throughout the planning process.
During the January 2021 SWAC meeting, the Committee recommended the plan be brought to jurisdictions and the Board of County Commissioners for approval.
The SWMP proposes a comprehensive set of recommended strategies for implementation over the six-year planning period. Key highlights include:
• Facility Upgrades - The plan recommends upgrades to the Rainier and Rochester Drop-Box Sites for scales, scale houses and security enhancements. It also recommends upgrades to the Waste and Recovery Center including site security, construction of a new public tipping area with scales and scale houses, compactor overhaul, and a new administration operation building. Maintenance to the closed Hawks Prairie Landfill flare station, leachate pump system and site settlement differential repairs are also included as recommendations.
• Recycling - Waste prevention, reduction and recycling are continuing priorities for this plan. Promoting a variety of education and outreach initiatives, while dealing with changing recycling markets, will continue to be a priority. A new element of the SWMP, required by Department of Ecology, is a Contamination, Recycling, and Outreach Program (CROP). The goal of the CROP is to reduce contamination in recyclables collected in the county through implementation of data measurement tools addressing contamination reduction, and establishment of countywide outreach messaging.
• System Enhancement - Providing for long-term system operations, maintenance, transport and disposal of waste through the issuance of a Request For Proposal (RFP) process for the county’s Waste and Recovery Center. This is to ensure efficient and effective continuation of contracted solid waste services at the county-owned facilities. The current collaborative system between the county and cities has provided cost-effective, environmentally responsible waste handling and disposal for over 20 years and is expected to continue with the signing of interlocal agreements and implementation of a county flow control ordinance. This flow control ordinance requires solid waste collected in Thurston County to be sent to the Waste and Recovery Center, thereby providing financial stability for the system.
• Sustainability -
o Manage waste as a resource to increase local job opportunities and support economic development.
o Consider environmental impacts to climate, air, water and land that are associated with waste generation, transportation, handling, recycling and disposal.
o Ensure county’s solid waste system has an equitable and sustainable funding mechanism.
o The county’s development community is aware of and invested in less wasteful and more sustainable building and development practices.
o In the county, edible food is eaten, and inedible food is composted or processed into other value-added products.
• Education -
o Encourage people in the county to act on the basis of their understanding of the societal, environmental, health, and financial impacts of their consumption and disposal choices. This includes their impact on climate change.
o Encourage people and businesses to make responsible choices about what they produce, consume, and generate as waste.
o Manage waste in a manner that promotes Washington State’s waste management priorities presented in Ecology’s Moving Washington Beyond Waste and Toxics document.
o Promote and support life cycle product stewardship and industry advancements in packaging standards that lead to less waste generation.
o Support changes to federal and state regulations and policies that support increased recycling opportunities and waste diversion.
o Incorporate principles of equity and social justice into solid waste system planning.
Long-range planning is essential to achieving a cost-effective, integrated and environmentally sound solid waste system. To this end, the SWMP facilitates a cooperative effort between partners and provides a framework for infrastructure planning, short-term and long-term management of solid waste and recyclables, policy making, and funding for the system.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
City of Olympia Waste Resources Utilities residents, businesses, organizations, and its customers rely on safe, effective, and efficient solid waste disposal systems.
Options:
1. Approve a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to sign the Interlocal Agreement to adopt the Thurston County Solid Waste Management Plan. The SWMP will be implemented as planned.
2. Modify the SWMP by providing feedback to staff on desired changes with a recommendation to bring it back to Council. This option will delay implementation and could have regulatory implications. Note: The amount of time it is delayed would depend on the scope of the recommended changes.
3. Do not recommend approving the SWMP and provide guidance to staff on next steps.
Financial Impact:
None at this time. The SWMP does not recommend changes to rates. Implementing the SWMP could have future service and utility rate implications.
Attachments:
Resolution
Interlocal Agreement
Link to Thurston County Solid Waste Management Plan