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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-09-26 BOS Recycling-min Selectmen's Meeting—September 26, 2018 Page 1 of 5 SELECTMEN'S COMMUNITY MEETING Wednesday, September 26, 2018 A meeting of the Lexington Board of Selectmen was called to order at 7:01 p.m. on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 in Battin Hall of the Cary Memorial Building located at 1605 Massachusetts Avenue. Ms. Barry, Chair; Mr. Pato; Mr. Lucente; and Ms. Hai were present as well as Ms. Kosnoff, AssistantTown Manager for Finance; David Pinsonneault, Director of Public Works; Robert Beaudoin, Superintendent of Environmental Services; and Ms. Siebert, Recording Secretary. Ms. Ciccolo was absent. Also present were Mike Lavin, Wrentham DPW Director- John Horak and Ken McMenemy, E.L Harvey and Sons, Inc., Waste and Recycling Services. Mr. Pinsonnault, DPW Director, presented information on a possible change from manual to automated recycling pick-up. Lexington's new contract with waste hauler E.L Harvey allows the Town to switch to automated weekly recycling pick-up after a one.-year continuation of status quo manual services. The point of tonight's meeting is to gather feedback about the potential change but no decisions will be made at this time. Mr. Pinsonnault emphasized that the presentation is solely on recycling, not on trash, since previous meetings have already provided feedback on that subject. ,John Horak, E.L. Harvey General Manager, reported that the company currently serves 12 municipalities for recycling and 8 of the 12 use automated services. Some of these communities began with their relationship with E.L Harvey using automated single-stream service; others transitioned to automation at some point during the contract years. Mr. Horak listed the benefits of single stream automation as: improved aesthetics and minimization of litter and animal issues-, Pick-up rounds are more efficient and take less time; safety is improved; Workers' Compensation claims are fewer because there are not as many injuries and, due to this, employees are retained; long.-ten-n savings because company expenses are kept low; recycling carts are more durable than the current rectangular bins; carts are wheeled and easier to use. Based on E.L. Harvey and Town staff assessments, it was reported that 30-35% of Lexington residents already use some type of covered, wheeled cart for recycling, similar to those used in the automated service. Carts come in several sizes and examples of each were on display, the largest cart holding 96 gallons. The small.- and medium-sized carts hold 35 and 64 gallons, respectively; the current rectangular blue bins hold 18 gallons. Mike Lavin, Wrentham DPW Director, spoke from his experience with implementation of automated recycling programs in two other communities, Framingham and Wrentham. Framingham enjoyed "great savings", Mr. Lavin said, increasing recycling and creating a more efficient pick-up system. He recommended that Lexington opt for the largest size cart to reap the most benefits. Mr. Lavin reported that seniors do not often have problems maneuvering the wheeled carts because they are actually easier to handle than the rectangular bins which must be lifted. Mr. Lavin recommended that Lexington take the time to hone the cart distribution lists before implementation to ensure a smooth program rollout. For reasons of savings and control, Selectmen's Meeting—September 26, 2018 Page 2 of 5 Mr. Lavin recommended that theTown buy the carts outright instead of paying over time within the terms of the hauling contract. Depending on the cart capacity chosen, a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) grant may be available to offset the price of the carts. Mr. Pinsonnault said a trial/pilot program is possible for residents to test out the automated service. The size of the cart is still up in the air and could be part of what the pilot determines. Mr. Pinsonnault reported that this is the first year Lexington has had to pay to have recycling collected, due to changes in the market for recyclable materials. Nevertheless, trash continues to cost more to haul than recycling; he hopes the market will rebound in the future. The added cost of the automated program is due to the purchase of carts which can be spread out over five years or paid for upfront, as Mr. Lavin recommended. Mr. Pinsonnault noted that while there are still some contractors that offer manual service, the number is dwindling. As this trend continues, Lexington will have fewer and fewer vendors to choose from if it sticks with manual pick-up. If no change is made now, Lexington will still have a 5--year contract with E.L. Harvey. However, Mr. Pinsonnault recommended implementing a trial program to accustom residents to the new system. Ms. Barry opened the floor to questions from the audience. David Kanter, 48 Fifer Lane, said he found it difficult to assess the proposal without understanding the financial impacts. He asked why theTown should pay more if the current system is already working well. Mr. Pinsonnault reported that he can provide the cost differential information which is based on the need to purchase the carts. TheTown received a quote for automated recycling that included vendor-provided carts, paid for incrementally. The collection price is not apt to go up in a subsequent contract because there would be operational savings due to automation. Mr. Kanter said he believes Lexington is a "mature community" with regard to recycling and he does not think there will be the increase as in other communities. He asked that a survey of the community be done. Mr. Pinsonnault said this type of data gathering is one of the reasons Lexington should consider doing a trial program. He knows from collection reports that trash loads still have recyclable material mixed in, meaning that, for some reason, residents have not sorted them out. He suspects that the small capacity of the rectangular bins is one of the factors. Mr. Kanter said he does not believe the waste hauler has ever refused a pick-up that visibly included mixed materials. Mr. Beaudoin said his department is now developing a non.- compliance sticker. Mr. Horak noted that the wheeled carts also have a list of recycling "do's and don'ts" embossed on the lids which restates the'T'own's recycling policies. Howard Clough, 19 Sherman Street, is a member of a resident"age in place" social group called "Lexington At Home." His concerns are how streets that are not laid out in grid formation would be served and how people with minimal storage space will cope with a large wheeled cart. He strongly suggested targeting non-standard pick-up logistics during the pilot program. He has also read that China is no longer accepting US plastic recyclables. Mr. Lavin said that countries Selectmen's Meeting—September 26, 2018 Page 3 of 5 besides China are becoming interested in US recycled materials. Mr. Horak said it remains State law not to dispose of recyclables in the waste stream. Bob Pressman, 22 Locust Avenue, asked if the current pick-up system and hauling contract can accommodate these program changes. Mr. Pinsonnault said the contract is for manual trash pick.- up and manual recycling pick up with an option for automated recycling. Mr. Pressman asked how many employees are on each truck. Mr. Horvak said one person operates each truck with the exception of one recycling truck that has two people. Mr. Pressman asked why there would be a cost reduction if the trucks already have only one operator. Mr. Horvak said that automation makes the routes more efficient and takes about half the time to complete. Workers' Compensation also goes down as injuries decrease. Mr. Pressman stated that the current system works perfectly for his household and he sees no reason to change. Tom Shiple, 18 Phinney Road, asked how large cardboard boxes would be handled. He currently knocks them down and bundles them. Mr. Beaudoin replied that there are several large cardboard recycling receptacles around town for this purpose, such as behind Town Hall, at Grace Chapel, and at the Hartwell Avenue facility. Mr. Horvak said that residents in other towns served by EI_ Harvey fold or break up larger boxes for curbside pick-up. Mr. Shiple asked if households could choose the size cart they prefer. Mr. Lavin reported that it was a logistical nightmare when Framingham allowed residents to choose; soon afterward, most people opted for the largest cart anyway. Apropos of increased recycling rates, Wrentham also had high compliance before automation but instituting the 96-gallon carts increased the tonnage anyway. The footprint of the largest cart is not much different from the smaller carts. Mr. Shiple said that many of the same concerns about the wheeled carts and automated pick-up were addressed at the previous meetings about changing the trash pick-up system where there was significant resistance. How is this proposal different? Mr. Pinsonnault noted other factors involved in the trash proposal, such as limits on waste volumes and use of overflow bags. He agreed that the carts were a factor common to both trash and recycling, which is why he believes a trial period would be beneficial. Frank Smith, 7 Potter Pond/Precinct 3Town Meeting member/Capital Expenditures Committee member, said that he is concerned there will be a variable level of impact, depending on where in Lexington one lives. For the Potter Pond, that includes 100 homes, there is no outside place to store carts, including in the small garages. Mr. Smith believes the only cart that might work is the smallest size. Presently, the community site manager takes trash and recycling to an area on the property where it is picked up. This would not work the same way if the carts were adopted. Mr. Beaudoin said that other condominium complexes, such a the Muzzey condos and Parker Manor, have similar challenges and have opted for a large, single stream recycling "dumpster". There are many different multi-family arrangements that will be individually examined to devise workable systems. Leonard Heinrich, 12 Balfour Street, said he believes the smaller bin should be an available option for households with tight space issues. Winter will also present challenges for storage and Selectmen's Meeting—September 26, 2018 Page 4 of 5 Pick-up, especially on narrow streets. Mr. Lavin agreed that winter is challenging and plows already have a hard time on trash days. Mr. Horak said E.L. Harvey has not had particular problems servicing narrow streets. Robert Peters, 43 Fifer Lan e/C o.-presi dent Drummer Boy Homeowners' Association Board of Directors, referred to written comments he previously submitted, saying he wanted to emphasize the points made therein. Storage space concerns at the 150--unit Drummer Boy complex were of paramount significance to residents; Mr. Peters thought perhaps that the smallest size receptacle could fit in the small garages, but the middle size and largest carts would not. Additionally, the cul-de-sac layout of the complex makes it difficult for automated trucks to navigate and perforrn the pick-up. He understands the waste industry is moving toward automation but this will make it more difficult for Drummer Boy residents and might result in less material being recycled, as a consequence. David Kanter, 48 Fifer Lane, noted that he has asked at previous meetings how automation would work at a place like in Drummer Boy Green condominiums. He does not want recycling to be made more challenging. He asked if there would be an impact to the FY 19 budget if automation was approved. Mr. Pinsonnault said the impact would occur in 2020, not 2019. Mr. Kanter said he believes the savings are all on the vendor side, not on theTown side. If a trial program is initiated, he asked that non-linear residential configurations be given careful scrutiny. He would prefer to keep the manual pick-up system for now and contemplate changes at the end of the current 5--year contract. Peter Kelley, 24 Forest Street, said Lexington already has a good recycling program that residents have individually adapted to in their own ways. He believes automation eliminates choice and a single option may not work for everyone. If theTown moves toward automation, Mr. Kelley suggested that a bylaw be written to require keeping recycling carts out of sight between pick-ups as a way to maintain aesthetics. Mr. Kelley asked if the trial would allow residents to choose the cart size they want. Mr. Pinsonnault replied that the test does pen-nit cart choice; multiple neighborhood types would be piloted as well. Mr. Lucente asked what the cost differential is between carts sizes. Mr. Horvak reported, from small to large, the cost is $50/$60/$70. Mr. Lucente said, since recycling is picked up weekly, he cannot imagine the largest tote would be needed. Mr. Pinsonnault said feedback from the trial would provide an objective understanding of what size is best for Lexington. Mr. Lucente asked how his recycling is being pick-up now. Mr. Horvak said one of the current trucks uses automation and the other truck has two people and still uses the manual system. Ms. Barry asked how the 1000 trial households would be chosen. Mr. Pinsonnault said the plan is to select a diverse group of neighborhood types and street layouts. Ms. Hai asked if the trial is grant-eligible. Mr. Pinsonnault replied that a new grant is available only if the trial becomes a full program. Most of the funding for the trial would come from the budget, although some funding from a previous grant can be shifted over to this purpose. If the trial is approved, the DPW would make a proposal to the Board that includes funding scenarios. Selectmen's Meeting—September 26, 2018 Page 5 of 5 Ms. Hai asked if the number of trash haulers who do manual pick up limits the competitive bidding process for Lexington's waste hauling contracts. Mr. Pinsonnault said that, of the four bids received in the last round, two were fully committed to manual pick-up. Peter Kelley, 24 Forest Street, said now that he understands there is no grant money for the trial, he does not support using budget funds to purchase the carts. He also does not want people forced into participating in the trial. Mr. Lucente remarked that none of the residents present this evening has made a positive comment about the carts/automated system. He believes that the automated system might work well for a town with linear streets and in areas without snowfall but the current system works well in Lexington and provides options for residents. In five years, at the end of the current contract, theTown might have to make changes. He would also need to see the financing information before being certain of his vote. Mr. Pato said he would support a trial to gather information about several categories of concern expressed tonight: how the carts and automated system would work in non-linear neighborhoods-, how switching to carts affects residents and the impacts of space limitations; what the financial analysis is. Ms. Barry said she supports doing a trial but is surprised to learn there is a cost associated with it. The financial impacts are important to understand. The purpose for tonight's meeting was to gather input but with only a handful of residents in attendance, the feedback level is less than expected. Recycling affects everyone and the Board wants to engage with the community before moving forward. Ms. Hai also supported the idea of a trial so that the range of problems is understood. She believes that different kinds of pick-up scenarios need to be targeted proactively. Cart size, maneuverability, and storage are also of concern. She likes the thought that litter would be minimized because the carts have lids. Ms. Hai is also concerned about the finances of doing a trial without grant funding. Ms. Barry said this subd; ed interested residents i ect will come back before the Boar1 she encouraged to sign up on theTown website to receive Selectmen meeting agendas in advance. Ad'ourn L_ Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selection voted 4­0 to adjourn at 8:20 p.m. A to record; Attest: Kim Siebert Recording Secretary