Minutes of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission/Solid Waste Policy Committee
July 10, 2008
ATTENDANCE
Attachment A lists the attendance at this meeting, at which the following matters were discussed.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Thomas Longo, Vice-Chair of the Planning Commission and
Solid Waste Policy Committee.
MINUTES
On a motion by Mayor Blomquist, seconded by Mayor Eileen Patton, the minutes of the April 10,
2008 meeting were approved.
RESOLUTIONS
General
On a motion by Mayor Kelley, seconded by Mayor Blomquist, Resolution No. 080710-A, supporting
and endorsing the renewal of the Clean Ohio Fund was unanimously approved.
On a motion by Mayor Kelley, seconded by Ms. Forbes, Resolution No. 080710-B, approving the Administrative Services Agreement with the District One Public Works Integrating Committee for State Fiscal Year 2009, was unanimously approved.
On a motion by Mayor Blomquist, seconded by Mayor Kelley, Resolution No. 080710-C, approving the Memorandum of Understanding with the Ohio Department of Development for Job Ready Application Assistance under the Job Ready Site Program, was unanimously approved.
On a motion by Mayor Eileen Patton, seconded by Ms. Forbes, Resolution No. 080710-D, amending the Facilities License Agreement with the Senior Transportation Connection of Cuyahoga County, was unanimously approved.
Resolution No. 080710-D, the personnel actions, was unanimously approved.
On a motion by Mayor Blomquist, seconded by Mayor Eileen Patton, Resolution No. 080710-F, approving an amendment to the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Personnel Policy and Procedure Manual, was unanimously approved.
On a motion by Mayor Blomquist, seconded by Mayor Kelley, Resolution No. 080710-G, recommending approval to amend the zoning map amendment B-08 for the Vita-Mix Corporation on Usher Road in Olmsted Township, was unanimously approved.
On a motion by Mayor Blomquist, seconded by Mr. Smock, Resolution No. 0800710-H, disapproving the zoning map amendment A-08 for the Cook Road Investment Site on Stearns Road in Olmsted Township, was unanimously approved.
COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL ISSUES
Mr. Alsenas presented a brief analysis of the newly released U.S. Census data of the county-scale
population projections. Mr. Alsenas noted that the macro trends that are still occurring are:
the continued slow decline in population in Cuyahoga County, that the six surrounding counties
population now exceeds Cuyahoga County and that for the first time the exurban rates of population
is slowing climbing.
Overall, Mr. Alsenas stated that the overall rate of population rate of the Cleveland Metropolitan Area is not increasing because Cuyahoga County is dragging the rate of increase down for the entire metropolitan area. In addition, the 2000 - 2006 population data shows that First Suburbs are losing population at a greater rate than the City of Cleveland, whose population is still declining, but not as steeply.
Mr. Alsenas explained that the one-third of the population is moving to other states, primarily Arizona, Florida and Nevada, and the remaining two-thirds are moving to surrounding counties. Only three percent (3%) of the population is moving to another location in Ohio.
In the broader context, Mr. Alsenas showed a map of the upper northeast and upper Midwest states which showed that many of the metro areas in these states are losing population or remaining stable or loss areas and that the major metro areas such as Chicago are experiencing a dynamic similar to Cleveland whereby the major county, for example Cook County, is losing population but the Chicago metro area is gaining population. This dynamic is occurring all along the Great Lakes Basin, in Toledo, Detroit, Milwaukee, etc.
Then if you look at the overall assets provided by the Great Lakes such as interconnected major highways, major railroad passage and ports, it shows that these areas have opportunities and the necessary factors for growth that will be critical in the future: fresh water; research universities, more than 40 million people, have all the necessary factors for growth areas.
Specific assets and opportunities in of the Cleveland metro area are that it is a leading center of innovation and research, a carbon-based economy, a center for human capital development (allows skilled professionals and workers to earn a decent living), home to the world's largest grouping of interior fresh-water lakes and finally, a tightly-integrated economic area.
Mr. Alsenas stated that although the Cleveland metro area is experiencing a continued population loss, the foundations to transform the area are already present: a focus on the health industry, Great Lakes wind energy program, Cleveland-Cuyahoga County port and the Cuyahoga Valley Initiative.
Mayor Longo asked when will these areas "tip" or transform, when will people decide to move here? When there is a water shortage?
Mr. Alsenas stated that companies are already making location decisions about the future lack of water in some areas and he predicted that five (5) years from now, the population will start moving back in our direction.
Mayor Longo stated that when to expect this change is going to happen is very important. He stated that the State of Ohio doesn't have a development plan that will meet these needs. Instead of spreading the money around, the State needs to concentrate funds on developing the natural assets of Ohio.
Mr. Alsenas stated that when the CPC reconvenes in the fall it should address identify the tactical actions not just the trends that are happening.
Ms. Kilbane updated the Planning Commission on the status of the Highway Trust Fund shortfall. Ms. Kilbane explained that although several proposals have been discussed by Congress there has been no agreement and Virginia Ainslie, NOACA's lobbyist, has stated that it is imperative to keep writing congressional members regarding the need for these funds. Mr. James Beasley, Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation, recently sent a letter to each of the state's Metropolitan Planning Organizations stating that Ohio would experience a $350 million deficit if the shortfall is not fixed. In addition, the Cuyahoga County Engineer has stated that the approximately $60 million in projects would have to be put on hold due to the lack of funds.
SOLID WASTE DISTRICT REPORT
Mr. Holland explained that the District is facing two challenges. The first one concerns
the Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne landfill which takes approximately sixty-six percent (66%) of
Cuyahoga County's waste. Mr. Holland explained that one of the landfills has an environmental
problem that is creating a very bad odor and that the residents are very unhappy about the
daily parade of transfer trailers that clog up the roads.
In an effort to appease the residents, the Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne operators have implemented a rule, targeted specifically at Cuyahoga County that will only allow waste from counties that meet or exceed the Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne recycling rates. Mr. Holland explained that Cuyahoga County, based on historical data, far surpasses the Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne recycling rate for residential and commercial waste and are within tenths of a percent of meeting their industrial recycling rate.
Mr. Holland stated that he, and other districts, question the validity of the Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne District industrial recycling rate and may, on behalf of all waste generators, pursue one or more courses of action in order to get the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to disapprove the Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne rule. The actions in front of the Solid Waste District are to:
- Retain legal council to review the legality of the rule;
- Challenge the data that Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne is using to deny access to Cuyahoga County; and/or
- Have Triad Research to research the current recycling industrial data for Cuyahoga County to see if the District is already meeting the goals set by the Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne landfill.
Mr. Holland stated that if Cuyahoga County is not permitted to use the Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne landfill, it will have to find another landfill to take the sixty-six percent (66%) now going to trash Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne. The cost of transporting the waste to another landfill will definitely increase our transportation costs.
The second issue is that Republic Services, the third largest waste company in the U.S. is being acquired by BFI, the second largest waste company in the U.S. The result of this takeover is that seventy-one percent (71%) of Cuyahoga County's market share will be controlled by one company which is not good for the County and not good for competition. From the beginning, the district's strategy was to promote competition and let the marketplace govern itself. This takeover raises the issue of antitrust. Mr. Holland stated that he was hopeful that some smaller independent waste companies would step up and acquire additional assets.
Mr. Holland stated that in the broader context, the Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne rule is designed to keep commerce out of a certain area sets an extremely bad precedent. The worst case scenario would be if we were denied access to the both Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne and Republic landfills; however, the District would have an option of moving greater amounts of its waste by rail. Mr. Holland explained that ten (10) years ago it didn't make sense to transport waste by rail if it wasn't going more than 100 miles. Now that gas is more costly, landfills accessible by rail within 100 miles is looking more favorable. Mr. Holland stated that there are two (2) landfills in remote areas of Ohio with rail access that the District staff is looking into.
Mayor Blomquist asked if there were any other large urban areas using the Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne landfill?
Mr. Holland replied that Summit County exports all of its waste to Stark County and it will never be able to meet the conditions set by Stark/Tuscarawas/Wayne. He doesn't know what Summit County is planning to do.
Seeing that there was no other business, Mr. Smock adjourned the meeting.
Attachment A
Cuyahoga County Planning Commission/Solid Waste Policy Committee
| July 10, 2008 Attendance Record | |
|---|---|
| Member | Present |
| Mayor Robert Blomquist | No |
| Mr. Robert Brown for Mayor Jackson | No |
| Commissioner Jimmy Dimora | Yes - represented by Mr. Smock |
| Mayor Merle Gorden | No |
| Commissioner Timothy Hagan | Yes - represented by Ms. Forbes |
| Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones | No |
| Mayor Edward Kelley | Yes |
| Mayor Thomas Longo | Yes |
| Mayor Eileen Patton | Yes |
| Mayor Kenneth Patton | No |
| Mayor Michael Procuk | Yes |
| SOLID WASTE POLICY COMMITTEE | |
| Ms. Virginia Aveni | Yes |
| Mr. Jack Licate | Yes |
| Others: Kristin Hopkins, Claire Kilbane, Patrick Holland | |
