Title
RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING PARTIAL APPROVAL OF SOLID WASTE
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PLAN (2019-2023)
Staff
Prepared by Chair Brown
Body
WHEREAS, the planning horizon for the City’s last Solid Waste Resources Plan expired
in December 2017 and its goals were never realized; and
WHEREAS, the MRF has been closed for 3 years, and its closure has significantly
increased the cost of processing the City’s recycling; and
WHEREAS, the recycling commodity market has declined, which has meant the City
can generate less revenue to offset the cost of providing recycling services; and
WHEREAS, on April 16, 2018 City Council approved a contract with Aptim
Environmental and Infrastructure, Inc. (APTIM) to develop the City’s Solid Waste
Resources Management Plan (2019-2023) (SWRMP) to include funding and program
recommendations, coordinated through the Environmental Commission and engaging
the wider community to serve as a business plan to guide solid waste operations for the
planning period and beyond; and
WHEREAS, the City’s Sustainability Framework’s Responsible Resource Use goals
include opt imizing the use and reuse of community resources and producing zero
waste; and
WHEREAS businesses in the downtown area have not received acceptable solid waste
services from the City; and
WHEREAS, there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the long-term health of
the City’s Solid Waste Fund; and
WHEREAS, the proposed savings achieved by consolidating residential collection
services by the City do not effectively or clearly demonstrate their basis to the
satisfaction of the Environmental Commission;
WHEREAS, Though a lot of information has been provided in the report, there must be
a prioritization of these recommendations and review of progress toward clear goals
using better controlled performance measures; and
WHEREAS, since January 2019, the SWRMP Advisory Committee has expressed
several concerns and posed questions about the Plan’s recommendations, and neither
the concerns nor the questions have been adequately addressed
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Ann Arbor City Council support:
1. The Plan’s Residential Recommendation #1 to implement a year-round residential
compost collection on a monthly basis from December to March, and continue weekly
collection from April through November.
2. The Plan’s Commercial Recommendation #1 to work with the City’s Stormwater and
Wastewater Departments to develop and implement an ordinance requiring operating
standards and reporting by restaurants and grease haulers to improve management of
fats, oils, and grease (FOG) generated by restaurants.
3. Downtown-Area Service Recommendation D1 to change downtown collection route
driver schedules to enable Saturday and Sunday collections on a half-day basis, and to
mandate restaurants and bars have Saturday and Sunday collections and a minimum
4-day collection every week.
4. Downtown-Area Service Recommendation D3 to establish separate and discrete
service arrangements within the DDA boundaries utilizing a single service provider for
all waste-related services, including waste, recycling, and organics collection
5. City staff rework the plan to recommend priorities and top-level, outcome-based
performance targets with regular review.