Minutes of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission/Solid Waste Policy Committee
November 10, 2004
ATTENDANCE
Attachment A lists the attendance at this meeting, at which the following matters were discussed.
Mayor Thomas Longo, Vice-chair started the meeting due to the absence of Commissioner Jones.
MINUTES
On a motion by Mr. Shannon, seconded by Mayor Gorden, the minutes of the September 8, 2004 meeting
were unanimously approved.
RESOLUTIONS
Resolution A, authorizing a contract with South Euclid to update their subdivision regulations was
approved on a motion by Mayor Hruby, seconded by Mr. Shannon.
On a motion by Mayor Blomquist, seconded by Mayor Hruby, Resolutions B, C and D, approving contracts for the implementation of the Senior Transportation Organization were unanimously approved.
On a motion by Mr. Shannon, seconded by Mayor Blomquist, Resolution E, approving an Inter-Agency Agreement between the County Planning Commission and the Department of Employment and Family Services for continued management of the Work Access Transportation Program, was unanimously approved.
On a motion by Mr. Shannon, seconded by Mayor Ken Patton, Resolution F, authorizing a contract with the Ohio State University Research Foundation to prepare a scope of work for an Economic Valuation Study of the Cuyahoga Valley Initiative, was unanimously approved.
Ms. Carol Thaler, Program Officer, introduced the Olmsted Township resolutions. She indicated that the staff was recommending disapproval of two zoning amendments, Resolutions J and K, because they do not comply with the Township's comprehensive master plan.
Mayor Blomquist stated that he asked that Resolutions L and M be added to the agenda to work in conjunction Resolutions J and K to offer procedures to the Township Trustees to follow to cure the problems.
On a motion by Mayor Blomquist, seconded by Mayor Hruby, Resolutions G through M, were unanimously approved.
COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL ISSUES
Mr. Pat Holland, Director of the Solid Waste District, provided a brief update of District activities
for the past month. Mr. Holland announced that the District had received the first
Ohio Partners for Sustainability award for organizational leadership for its Residential
Recycling Report, its Trash Talk luncheons, and the Trash Oscars.
Mr. Holland announced that the District has started its second five-year update of the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste Management Plan and introduced Mr. Michael Greenberg of GT Environmental, the District's consultant for the plan update. Mr. Greenberg presented an overview of the District's schedule, the responsibilities of the Policy Committee and provided a status on the District's achievement of its recycling goals.
Mayor Longo asked if there have been any changes in law regarding flow control that would now let the District do flow control.
Mr. Greenberg responded that some solid waste districts in Ohio have flow control because they have built facilities and in order to make them work they have to capture a large share of the market so they direct waste to their facilities.
Mr. Holland responded that the flow control issues has been litigated at least three times and has been upheld by the Ohio Court.
Mayor Longo asked whether Cuyahoga County communities have to take their waste to a certain landfill owned by a business or other entity or can it be owned by Cuyahoga County.
Mr. Holland stated that he believed the District has the legal authority to do that, but it has to be designated in the plan. He explained that the County's initial plan and the update is based on the free market approach which is to have distribute our waste to multiple places as a way to control costs. He stated districts that use flow control are feeding the facilities that the county has financed and constructed to ensure a steady stream of revenue to retire the debt.
Ms. Aveni stated that it appears that commercial retailers are not reaching their recycling rates and that the District is relying on the residential recycling programs to meet Ohio's 25% recycling rate.
Mr. Greenberg agreed and stated that since they are both measured together it is important to get the commercial businesses and processors to provide their recycling information, which has been proved hard to do.
Commissioner Jones stated that because of the City of Cleveland's budget difficulties their recycling program was dropped which makes it difficult to meet the 25% recycling rate. However, he asked how the city handles the companies in the city.
Mr. Greenberg stated that if it makes sense to recycle financially a city will do it; however, many large cities, like Cleveland, have cut their recycling services to ease up on budget constraints.
Mr. Ronayne stated that the city added drop off points in all of the city wards and stated that if there is anything else the City can do to help the District he would be willing to facilitate that effort.
Mr. Holland stated that it is the large national retailers like Wal-mart that are hard to get recycling data from. He stated that Wal-Mart's merchandise is shipped from Fort Smith, Arkansas and then the same trucks delivering the material back haul all of the cardboard to Fort Smith. Getting the information of what came out of the Cuyahoga County stores is the difficult task. If we could get the data we would surpass the 25% recycling rate.
Mayor Ken Patton offered assistance by offering to contact store managers in their community to get the data.
CPC PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Mr. Alsenas reported on the Cuyahoga Valley Initiative and other important CPC projects.
OTHER BUSINESS
Mayor Gorden asked about the provision of the bylaws that allows for Commission members to appoint
alternates. He suggested that in order to keep the principals at the meeting that Robert Klaiber,
the Cuyahoga County Engineer, someone be appointed a rotating alternate so that if a mayor could not
attend, Mr. Klaiber would be able to help make the quorum and vote on the issues.
Commissioners Jones expressed concern that if everyone appointed an alternate, if would quickly dilute the power of the Commission.
Mr. Alsenas stated that alternates were not mandatory.
Commissioner Jones asked that a summary of the current law regarding the use of alternates be provided and that the pro and cons of the options be listed so that the Commission can discuss this issue at the next meeting.
Mr. Ronayne offered to present the Lakefront Plan to the Planning Commission at its next meeting.
Mr. Alsenas also indicated that other issues for the next month's agenda included an update on the implementation of the Senior Transportation and the Southeast Trail project that the staff has been working on.
Commissioner Jones announced that the next meeting of the County Planning Commission would take place at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 8, 2004.
With agreement from the other members, Commissioner Jones adjourned the meeting.
Attachment A
Cuyahoga County Planning Commission/Solid Waste Policy Committee
NOVEMBER 10, 2004 ATTENDANCE RECORD
| Member | Present |
|---|---|
| Ms. Virginia Aveni | Yes |
| Mayor Robert Blomquist | Yes |
| Commissioner Jimmy Dimora | Yes - represented by Mr. Pat Smock |
| Mayor Merle Gorden | Yes |
| Mayor Jerry Hruby | Yes |
| Commissioner Peter Jones | Yes |
| Mr. Jack Licate | Yes |
| Mayor Thomas Longo | Yes |
| Commissioner Tim McCormack | Yes - represented by Mr. John Nolan |
| Mayor Eileen Patton | Yes |
| Mayor Kenneth Patton | Yes |
| Mayor Judith Rawson | No |
| Mr. Chris Ronayne for Mayor Campbell | Yes |
| Others: Paul Alsenas, John DeMuth, Claire Kilbane, Michael Greenberg, Patrick Holland, Carol Thaler, Marionette Richardson | |
