Borough accepts waste plan

MAT-SU -- Increased incentives for recycling, load calculation by weight and improvements or changes to remote landfill transfer sites are among the 14 recommendations agreed upon by the Mat-Su Borough Assembly last week.

The assembly, at their Tuesday meeting, agreed by a 6-1 vote to accept the proposed changes to the solid waste master plan, a component of the borough's core area comprehensive plan. Assembly member Kelly Landford Ladere, unable to reconcile with a few points of the plan, was the lone opposer.

The plan, Swing said, is an update of one that has been on the books for more than 10 years. According to information presented to the assembly Tuesday, the first borough solid waste management plan was completed in 1977. In 1990, that plan was updated. The update recommended replacing smaller, outlying landfills with transfer stations and focusing instead on a hub facility, the central landfill. More than 10 years later, the plan was ready for review.

After the planning commission approved recommendations agreed upon with the help of a consultant in August, the new plan was set for public hearing before the assembly. This new plan outlines ways to bring the borough's solid waste program up to date.

The plan's recommendations include continued work to establish a viable solid waste program in Skwentna, the consideration of an enterprise fund to help track program spending and incoming funds, evaluation of the current rate structure, improved litter and waste control, formalizing landfill permitting procedures, and reevaluating the central landfill's master plan about every five years to stay ahead of borough-wide waste needs.

Increased cooperation with recycling groups such as Valley Community for Recycling Solutions was a big component of the plan. One point of the plan recommends notifying the public and area businesses of waste items that are difficult to process and dispose of, and further calls for recommending those businesses and residents reduce such waste or use substitute products in order to minimize hard-to-process waste. Another point of the plan recommends cooperating with recycling groups to make the public aware of recycling opportunities and encouraging the public to divert more recyclable materials away from the landfill. A $1-per-ton recycling fee was recommended to be added to disposal costs, with the money going to a dedicated recycling fund.

"Money from the recycling fund could be used to provide public information on recycling, recycling studies and capital improvements at recycling facilities," the plan states. "Acceptance of the fee would be subject to approval by the borough assembly and the Alaska Regulatory Commission."

Swing said Friday that, like many communities in the Lower 48, the borough is working to divert waste out of the landfill, thereby making the space available for use as a landfill last longer.

"Recycling is certainly a goal of all communities," Swing said, but added that the push for recycling in Alaska has not reached the pitch it has in the Lower 48. "It's a lot less of a goal up here than in certain communities Outside."

Some of the recommendations in the plan were aimed at clearing up cumbersome portions of the waste management system in the borough and, as a result, saving some operating funds along the way.

To that end, the plan recommended looking into consolidating three transfer stations -- Trapper Creek, Talkeetna and Sunshine. The plan recommended using larger collection trailers than those presently used, and estimated that the consolidation would save about $100,000 per year. Swing said community-specific recommendations such as these will be discussed in public meetings in the affected communities before they go before the assembly for a vote.

Looking into a by-weight fee system at the central landfill was also recommended. That system would charge dump users by the weight of their waste load, instead of the present, somewhat subjective method of estimating how many cubic yards of garbage are being brought in. The plan states that changing the fee structure could result in about $200,000 per year in added revenue, without changing the tipping fee from its current rate of $50 per ton. Taking the plan a step further, the plan recommends installing scales at the borough's Butte and Big Lake transfer stations and changing to a by-weight tipping fee there as well. Such a move, the plan estimated, could net an additional $90,000 per year, if both stations were fitted with scales. Before any changes to the fee structure were implemented, Swing and Borough Manager John Duffy agreed that estimates would be done to ensure the new fee structure wouldn't result in big price jumps for the average customer.

But perhaps the most discussed topic at Tuesday's meeting was a recommendation to consider replacing free disposal days with mailed-out free passes. Some assembly members balked at the idea, apparently believing the free disposal days were linked to community clean-up days. Swing clarified that the community clean-ups would still go on, with free dumping provided.

"The community clean-ups, we schedule over a series of weekends over the year so we have only one clean-up per day," Swing said.

"That's not going to change. But the free dump days, that's where we have traffic lined up … [from the central landfill] sometimes out to the Palmer-Wasilla Highway. It's just a terrible bottleneck."

One of the complications as a result of the long line of people waiting to take their turn at the dump, Swing said, is that commercial customers get caught in that bottleneck.

"Commercial haulers coming in, they have to sit there for an hour, hour and a half," Swing said. "It's not fair to them."

Swing added that extra staff must be called in to help manage the flow of traffic and help the lines move quickly. At the assembly meeting, he estimated a free day at the central landfill cost the borough about $45,000. Although he didn't have a specific estimate of how much the mail-out system would cost, Swing said it would result in less overtime and temporary wages paid, better customer service and little waiting in line.

Assembly member Ladere said, although she supported several of the recommendations in the plan, she felt hard numbers needed to be brought forward for consideration.

"What I don't have here, and I'd sure like to see, is a fiscal note attached to all of this," Ladere said.

Swing said a fiscal note wasn't attached at this time because the items were not ready to be implemented. When individual recommendations are ready to be implemented, the fiscal note will accompany those recommendations.

The individual recommendations, Swing said, will now be reviewed for adoption.

"Once you have a plan, you certainly need to at least act on implementation or give a reason [why implementation isn't feasible]," Swing said. "It's a long-range plan, and it would be implemented over a period of years."