Medina City Council discusses county’s updated solid waste plan - cleveland.com

MEDINA, Ohio -- Medina City Council members and other city officials gathered last week to discuss Medina County’s updated solid waste plan and their concerns, particularly in regard to improving recycling.

Beth Biggins-Ramer, solid waste coordinator for the Medina County Solid Waste District, explained aspects of the plan, which applies throughout the county.

“You want to think about this document as a solid waste master plan similar to how communities do master plans for transportation or for zoning or things of that nature,” said Biggins-Ramer. “We are required (by the state) to do this plan and we are required to update it every five years.”

The plan has to cover a 15-year window, she said. Thus, many of the figures provided are projections.

“What we are required to do in the plan is ... to review and let the (Ohio) EPA know what programs we are taking and what we’re (doing) to assist in increasing recycling, composting activities, how are we managing our household hazardous waste, how are we managing our yard waste,” Biggins-Ramer said.

Additionally, the solid waste district is required to report on how all of the county’s communities, industries and businesses are doing with these same issues and programs.

“We kind of have to lay out the data we’ve gathered and then, based on the data we’ve gathered, what is the path we want to forge going forward,” she said.

Council members and other city officials expressed some concerns with the plan, particularly in regard to recycling and costs to the city.

“There’s price changes that they’re proposing,” said city Service Director Nino Piccoli, who formerly served as a representative for the district, as he began filling in those on council. “There’s a bag fee going from $1.45 to $2 a bag for folks that are going to the CPF (central processing facility) to drop off trash in their vehicles.”

Council President John Coyne said the price per bag isn’t council’s biggest concern with this plan.

“Well, Mr. Piccoli, what we’re really concerned about, if you look at the plan, is the cost per ton and the changes that we are gonna have in respect to that,” he said. “I mean, we’re at $53 a ton, and it’s going to change throughout those years. If I’m looking at it correctly, there’s going to be increases going forward.”

Council members also expressed concerns about the fact that it is likely that there is less being recycled than what is being reported and projected.

“We’re still not really doing a ton of recycling, as far as the numbers come,” Coyne said. “Now, these numbers are just recycling as far as the county knows it. Once the county gives it to the recycle company, we don’t know if it’s actually recycled.

“We had a tracker device that was put in these dumpsters, and we know that they’re going in the landfill. I’m not really sure how to approach this,” he said.

“How can you have confidence to do anything when you can’t even predict what the recycling percentage actually is?”

Councilman Denny Simpson acknowledged that the county may not be entirely to blame, but he still asked for some honesty in terms of how much of the recyclable waste is actually being recycled.

“If we vote for it or against it, I don’t really think it has an impact,” said Coyne, and Councilwoman Jess Hazeltine agreed.

Voting on the plan update will occur at a future meeting.

“I just feel very concerned about asking residents to pay more money when they aren’t getting anything for it,” Coyne said.

Officials are hoping to look for some ways to decrease the cost of recycling, as well as to ensure that materials are actually being recycled.

Read more from the Medina Sun.

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Medina City Council discusses county’s updated solid waste plan - cleveland.com
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