SPECIAL CALLED MEETING of the ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2024, 6:00 PM AE HEADQUARTERS, Assembly Room 1111a 4815 Mueller Blvd Austin, TX 78723 Some members of the BOARD/COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, please reach out to Gustavo Valle at Gustavo.Valle@AustinTexas.gov (512.974.4350) or Claudia Quiroz at Claudia.Quiroz@AustinTexas.gov (512.974.1987). CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Amanda Masino Mayor Madeline Jasper District 1 Melissa Rothrock District 2 Katrina Scheihing District 3 Melissa Caudle District 4 Caitlin Griffith District 5 Cathy Gattuso District 6 Craig Nazor District 7 Ian Steyaert (Vice-Chair) District 8 Gerry Acuna (Chair) District 10 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 3 speakers signed up no later than noon the day before the meeting will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. 2. 3. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES DISCUSSION ITEMS Approve the minutes of the ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING on February 7, 2024. Presentation and Discussion of Austin-Travis County Food Plan – Sergio Torres-Peralta Review and Discussion of Director’s Report (FEMA Reimbursement, Refuse, Recycling, and Organic Carts (CO-OP), Brownie Follow-Up, Brandt Road Encampment Cleanup, Onion Creek Street Sweeping, Performance Reports, and Statistical Reports) – Richard McHale Presentation and Discussion FY25 Budget –Victoria Rieger DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. 6. 7. Approve a recommendation for Zero Waste Youth Education Program – Keri Greenwalt Approve a recommendation for Northeast Service Center Negotiations – Richard McHale Approve a recommendation for Administrative Rules City Code Revisions RCA –Richard McHale FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Presentation of Equity-Based Preservation Plan – Cara Bertron ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least two days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Gustavo Valle at Austin Resource Recovery Department (ARR), at (512.974.4350) for additional information; TTY users’ route …
A Food Plan for Austin-Travis County Find your seat at the table Some Food for Thought Developing a Food Plan What is a Food Plan & why do we need one? ● A Food Plan sets clear Goals and Strategies to move toward a more equitable, sustainable & resilient food system ● The Food Plan builds on several other initiatives made by the County, City, and Communities to tackle key food system issues. ● The Food Plan centers equity and the lived expertise of those most impacted by the current food system Good to Know ● On June 2021 Austin City Council directed the City Manager to initiate a planning process ● Travis County Commissioners Court approved formal participation in the plan in fall 2022 ● A draft was released on March 18th , and has been reviewed by hundreds of community members. Link to full resolution Project Timeline Phase 0: Planning for the Plan Phase 1: Vision Development Phase 2: Goal & Strategy Development Phase 3: Review and Ground truthing September 2021 - January 2023 March - August 2023 September 2023 - February 2024 February - Summer/Fall 2024 We are here ● ● ● ● Building Community Awareness 📰 Release of State of the Food System Report 📚 Onboarding Planning Consultant⭐ Recruitment of Community Teams🚀 ● Website launch 📶 ● World Cafe’s ☕ ● ● ● ● Listening Sessions & Tabling at events 📞 Equity Grounding Workshops 🤝 Community Circles 👐 Selecting Issue Area Groups🍽 ● ● ● ● Issue Area Group Meetings 🏘 Develop Goals and Strategies 🎯 Review Goals and Strategies Develop a draft for the Food Plan 🖊 ● ● ● ● Community Review of Plan 👀 Council and Commissioner Review ⚖ Approval 👍 Adoption 🏁 Co-creating the plan ● Planning Team: Coordinating and managing all moving parts ○ Includes: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ City of Austin staff Travis County staff Consultant Team Equity Consultants Austin Travis Food Policy Board Executive Leadership Team ● Community Advisory Committee: Advisory body overseeing the planning process ● Issue Area Groups: Developing goals and strategies for the plan ● Community Food Ambassadors: Connecting the plan to our communities ● Broader community feedback: Provide input at different stages of the plan Food Plan Structure ● Vision: Describes and articulates our shared aim - the kind of future we agree we would like to move toward together. ● Objectives: …
Zero Waste Advisory Commission February Meeting Minutes February 07, 2024 The Meeting of the Zero Waste Advisory Commission (ZWAC) convened at AE Headquarters and through Video Conference on Wednesday, February 7th, 2024. The following are the meeting highlights. For detailed information please visit: https://austintx.new.swagit.com/videos/297047 CALL TO ORDER Chair Gerry Acuna called the Commission Meeting to order at 6:00 pm Board Members in Attendance: Gerry Acuna, Melissa Caudle, Craig Nazor, Madeline Jasper, Ian Steyaert & Melissa Rothrock. Board Members not in Attendance: Amanda Masino, Caitlin Griffith, Cathy Gattuso, & Katrina Scheihing Staff in attendance: Richard McHale, Gena McKinley, Ron Romero, Amy Slagle, Donald Hardee, Jason McCombs, Victoria Rieger, Marcus Gonzalez, Samuel Gilbert, Andy Dawson, Yahel Baranovicht and Gustavo Valle. 1. Approval of the November 8th, 2023, Meeting Minutes (00:32) Chair Acuna entertained a motion for approval from Commissioner Nazor, seconded by Commissioner Caudle. Unanimous approval with a 6-0 vote. 2. Presentation and Discussion of Litter Abatement Programs – Sam Gilbert (03:06) Acting Division Manager Sam Gilbert with Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) presented ongoing Litter Abatement Programs. These include the Violet Bag Program, Violet Keepsafe Storage Program, Homeless H.E.A.L. (Housing-focused Encampment Assistant Link) Sites, Clean Creeks Program, Litter Control Program, Keep Austin Beautiful Program & Encampment Cleanups. Such initiatives are carried out in collaboration with other city departments like Transportation & Public Works and Parks and Recreations Department. I. II. Commissioners, staff, and stakeholders reviewed and discussed current Litter Abatement Programs. Commissioner Nazor inquired whether the city would implement single use plastic ordinance since they are found in great numbers at creeks. There are no current plans to implement such ordinances. Commissioner Acuna asked whether it was possible to increase the number of employees working in the Litter Abatement programs, specifically Homeless Encampment Cleanups. Director Richard McHale commented that Austin Resource Recovery is having ongoing budget discussion and would visit the matter. Commissioner Caudle asked about the status of the Zero Waste Rebate program. Division Manager Jason McCombs of Strategic Initiatives said that he would need to locate the data since he did not have concrete numbers at the time. Further, McCombs explained that while the numbers of businesses participating in the program have been steadily increasing since the pandemic, Strategic Initiatives continues to advertise the program as much as possible. 3. Presentation and Discussion of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Door-to-Door Pilot – Andy Dawson (27:09) Assistant Division Manager Andy Dawson with …
To: From: Date: Zero Waste Advisory Commission Richard McHale, Director, Aus�n Resource Recovery April 24, 2024 Subject: Director’s Monthly Report to the Zero Waste Advisory Commission Number of customers (under ARR service) that have four units or less that don’t have recycling and composting. Commissioner Melissa Caudle inquired the current number of ARR customers with four units or less that do not have recycling and composting. We have identified that 335 of our multifamily residents currently don’t receive recycling services and 366 residents don’t receive composting services. These customers receive dumpster services for trash disposal and are scheduled to receive carts for recycling and compost services. Follow up on Brownie The area has improved since implementa�on. Recycling on the north side of Brownie has a high compliance rate for recycling materials with litle to no contamina�on, however we are s�ll seeing some contamina�on on the south cul-de-sacs. Compos�ng in the area has had high rates of contamina�on. During collec�ons, opera�ons teams have been sor�ng materials to iden�fy contaminants. Compost employees are not sor�ng through the materials. Contaminants are easily iden�fiable (rigid plas�cs, garden hoses, bicycle �res, trash bags and aluminum are being placed in compost carts). Compost carts are periodically being collected and disposed of as garbage. Average weights are 1300-1500 pounds a�er collec�ng nearly 100% of the carts at 4- plexas on Brownie and providing tags to educate and no�fy the customer of the contamina�on. Landfill waste has also seen improvement, with no bulk set out since the most recent bulk pick up the week of January 15, 2024. There is s�ll extra landfill trash set out, however we are seeing improvement overall. AAR/APD Brandt Road Cleanup The morning of March 4th, ARR was no�fied by Aus�n Police Department’s Rapid Response that abatement would need to be performed at a homeless encampment on Brandt Road. ARR aids APD with the immediate removal of encampments that pose a risk to public safety. The encampment along Brandt Road is at-risk to floods and fires. During the Brandt Road encampment cleanup, ARR crews removed approximately 76 tons of debris from the encampment. The debris collected during the two-day cleanup on March 4th and 5th equates to nearly 5-6 semi-automated residential refuse routes. Onion Creek Street Sweeping ARR Street Cleaning programs provide cleaning of bike lanes, boulevards, downtown and residen�al streets throughout the city. In doing so, the programs rely heavily on temporary …
A Food Plan for Austin-Travis County Find your seat at the table Some Food for Thought Developing a Food Plan What is a Food Plan & why do we need one? ● A Food Plan sets clear Goals and Strategies to move toward a more equitable, sustainable & resilient food system ● The Food Plan builds on several other initiatives made by the County, City, and Communities to tackle key food system issues. ● The Food Plan centers equity and the lived expertise of those most impacted by the current food system Good to Know ● On June 2021 Austin City Council directed the City Manager to initiate a planning process ● Travis County Commissioners Court approved formal participation in the plan in fall 2022 ● A draft was released on March 18th , and has been reviewed by hundreds of community members. Link to full resolution Project Timeline Phase 0: Planning for the Plan Phase 1: Vision Development Phase 2: Goal & Strategy Development Phase 3: Review and Ground truthing September 2021 - January 2023 March - August 2023 September 2023 - February 2024 February - Summer/Fall 2024 We are here ● ● ● ● Building Community Awareness 📰 Release of State of the Food System Report 📚 Onboarding Planning Consultant⭐ Recruitment of Community Teams🚀 ● Website launch 📶 ● World Cafe’s ☕ ● ● ● ● Listening Sessions & Tabling at events 📞 Equity Grounding Workshops 🤝 Community Circles 👐 Selecting Issue Area Groups🍽 ● ● ● ● Issue Area Group Meetings 🏘 Develop Goals and Strategies 🎯 Review Goals and Strategies Develop a draft for the Food Plan 🖊 ● ● ● ● Community Review of Plan 👀 Council and Commissioner Review ⚖ Approval 👍 Adoption 🏁 Co-creating the plan ● Planning Team: Coordinating and managing all moving parts ○ Includes: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ City of Austin staff Travis County staff Consultant Team Equity Consultants Austin Travis Food Policy Board Executive Leadership Team ● Community Advisory Committee: Advisory body overseeing the planning process ● Issue Area Groups: Developing goals and strategies for the plan ● Community Food Ambassadors: Connecting the plan to our communities ● Broader community feedback: Provide input at different stages of the plan Food Plan Structure ● Vision: Describes and articulates our shared aim - the kind of future we agree we would like to move toward together. ● Objectives: …
City of Austin Recommendation for Action File #: 24-4288, Agenda Item #: 3. 5/2/2024(cid:4) Posting Language Approve an ordinance amending City Code Section 15-6-3 (Administration) relating to the process for adoption of administrative rules related to solid waste services. Lead Department Austin Resource Recovery. Fiscal Note This item has no fiscal impact. Prior Council Action: June 28, 2012 - City Council amended City Code Chapter 15-6 (Solid Waste Services) in Ordinance No. 20120628-012 to require all proposed rules from Austin Resource Recovery to be approved, modified, or disapproved by City Council. For More Information: Richard McHale, Director, 512-974-1997; Gena McKinley, Assistant Director, 512-974-2192 Additional Backup Information: BACKGROUND In 2012, City Council amended Subsection (B) of City Code Section 15-6-3 (Administration) to add the following underlined language: Before the director may adopt or amend a rule under this chapter, the director shall present the proposed rule to the Zero Waste Advisory Commission for consideration and recommendation to City Council and the City Council will approve, modify or disapprove of the proposed rule. Administrative rules are created and adopted by the City Manager in accordance with Chapter 1-2 (Adoption of Rules) to administer the policies established by the City Council. City Code Chapter 1-2 establishes the City’s administrative rule adoption process for all City departments. This process requires public posting of proposed rules, a public comment period, and an appeals process to the City Manager. Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) operates under the unique requirements of City Code Section 15-6-3, requiring administrative rules to be approved, modified, or disapproved by City Council. AMENDMENT This amendment to Subsection (B) of City Code Section 15-6-3 is intended to align ARR’s rulemaking procedures with the existing policies established by City Code and reduce the administrative burden on appointed officials, City Council, and City staff. The amendment to Subsection (C) of City Code Section 15-6-3 deletes the term “customer” to be inclusive of City of Austin Page 1 of 2 Printed on 4/19/2024 powered by Legistar™ (cid:5) (cid:6) File #: 24-4288, Agenda Item #: 3. 5/2/2024(cid:4) the public and not limit requests to those individuals receiving City services. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of these amendments to City Code Section 15-6-3. ARR would follow the process established in City Code Chapter 1-2 for the rule adoption process. City of Austin Page 2 of 2 Printed on 4/19/2024 powered by Legistar™ (cid:5) (cid:6)
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING of the ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION FEBRUARY 7, 2024, 6:00 PM AE HEADQUARTERS, Assembly Room 1111a 4815 Mueller Blvd Austin, TX 78723 Some members of the BOARD/COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Yahel Baranovicht at (512) 974-1733 or Yahel.Baranovicht@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Craig Nazor District 7 Ian Steyaert (Vice-Chair) District 8 Gerry Acuna (Chair) District 10 Amanda Masino Mayor Madeline Jasper District 1 Melissa Rothrock District 2 Katrina Scheihing District 3 Melissa Caudle District 4 Caitlin Griffith District 5 Cathy Gattuso District 6 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 3 speakers signed up no later than noon the day before the meeting will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approve the minutes of the ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING on NOVEMBER 8, 2023. DISCUSSION ITEMS Presentation and Discussion of Litter Abatement Programs – Sam Gilbert Presentation and Discussion of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Door-to-Door Pilot – Andy Dawson Review and Discussion of Director’s Report (Multifamily Composting, Brownie Drive, Recognitions, Historic Preservation Plan, Compensation Update, Solicitations Update, Performance Reports, and Statistical Reports) – Richard McHale DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS Review and Approval Supplemental Brush and Bulk Contract -Sam Gilbert Review and Approval of Digital Solutions for Waste Management Contract – Keri Greenwalt FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least two days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Yahel Baranovicht at Austin Resource Recovery Department, at (512) 974-1733 for additional information; TTY users’ route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Zero Waste Advisory Commission, please contact Yahel Baranovicht at (512) 974-1733 or Yahel.Baranovicht@austintexas.gov. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
RCA Cover Sheet for ZWAC-Revised May 2022 BRUSH AND BULK COLLECTION AND COMPOST HAULING SERVICES SOLICITATION # (IFB 1500 SLW1081) ZWAC: 02/07/2024 Council: 02/29/2024 OVERVIEW 1. Requested Contract Term, Authorization, and Current Budget Length of contract and total authorization: Authorize execution of three contracts for brush and bulk collection and compost hauling services with Aftermath Disaster Recovery, Inc., DRC Emergency Services, Inc., and IREP LLC, each for a term of five years in amounts not to exceed $15,000,000, divided among the contractors. ARR current fiscal year budget: Funding in the amount of $169,000 is available in the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Operating Budget of Austin Resource Recovery. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. 2. Solicitation Information Solicitation No: IFB 1500 SLW1081 # of bids received: 5 # of non-responsive bids received: 0 Length of time solicitation was out on the street: 3 weeks Was the time extended? No Issued date: 10/23/2023 Closed date: 11/14/2023 3. Previous Contract Information Previous contract: NA Contract number: Contract length and authorization: Contract actual spend: Current status: Contract execution date: Contract expiration date: 4. Notes/Other The Contractors will provide supplemental brush and bulk material removal and hauling services throughout the Austin Resource Recovery service area and dispose of the material at the designated disposal site or approved facilities. The Contractors are solely responsible for obtaining and providing all materials, equipment, supplies, labor, and other services required by the contract as may be necessary to fulfill the requirements of the contract. RCA Cover Sheet for ZWAC-Revised May 2022 In 2020, ARR experienced a shortage of employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This forced the department to temporarily suspend brush and bulk collections and to reallocate resources to ARR’s core collection services of trash, recycling, and compost. If brush and bulk removal services were temporarily suspended again, the City would see an increase in illegal dumping of materials. This creates health and safety concerns for citizens and the environment as dump sites attract vectors, mosquitoes, and other pests. A lack of brush removal could create an increased wildfire threat to the community. Having a contract in place will allow for current program service levels to continue, give ARR the flexibility to allocate resources where needed, and help reduce the number of individual vehicle trips to the compost processor during high-volume months. These contracts are replacing a short-term contract after realizing …
Zero Waste Advisory Commission Richard McHale Director Austin Resource Recovery To: From: Date: Subject: February 7, 2024 Director’s Monthly Report to the Zero Waste Advisory Commission Multifamily Composting ARR hosted a February 6 webinar for Austin Apartment Association property manager members. ARR will offer additional webinar opportunities to educate property managers across the city about the new multifamily composting rules. Brownie Drive ARR sent three educational mailers addressing compost and recycling contamination and has one more planned. ARR has provided these materials in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. ARR also promoted/participated in an Austin Code-led cleanup in the area on January 20. We will continue to monitor proper recycling and composting in the neighborhood, and we will address any ongoing issues as needed. Recognition • Assistant Director Gena McKinley was selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the National Recycling Coalition, a non-profit organization that is focused on the promotion and enhancement of recycling in the United States. • Assistant Director Ron Romero was selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Texas Public Work Association, a non-profit organization that is focused on local government public work and solid waste activities. • Director Richard McHale was given the 2023 Phil Parmer Volunteer Service Award from the Capital Area Planning Council of Governments in appreciation for leadership and dedication to regional environmental and solid waste planning. Historic Preservation Plan The Planning Department will be providing a briefing regarding the Equity-Based Preservation Plan. This presentation is scheduled for the April 2024 ZWAC meeting. This is of interest as topic deferred in the November 2023 meeting. Compensation Update With the Director’s approval, ARR HR worked with HRD Compensation and received approval on a few priorities to help combat hard-to-fill positions. I. Shift Differential Expansion Approval For employees who work the overnight shift in Litter Abatement, ARR was approved to pay the shift differential for the entire shift instead of partially paying the shift differential because the shift crosses over to the morning. II. Employee Referral Incentive To encourage employee referrals and attract qualified candidates, ARR created an employee Referral Incentive. Eligible employees who successfully refer candidates meeting the specified criteria will have the option to choose between two attractive incentives: One-time Lump Sum Payment: Amount: $300.00 per referred employee Administrative Leave (ADL): 12 hours of Administrative Leave per referred employee III. Employee Retention Incentive The retention incentive began on 5/12/2022 …
HHW Door-to-Door Pilot HHW Door-To-Door Pilot Began September 2022 Districts 10 & 4 Weight collected weekly Total pounds of HHW collected in FY23 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 District 4 pickup and drop-off District 4 drop-offs and pickups 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 10/7/2022 11/7/2022 12/7/2022 1/7/2023 2/7/2023 3/7/2023 4/7/2023 5/7/2023 6/7/2023 7/7/2023 8/7/2023 9/7/2023 District 4 Drop-off District 4 Pickup District 10 pickup and drop-off District 10 drop-offs and pickups 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 10/7/2022 11/7/2022 12/7/2022 1/7/2023 2/7/2023 3/7/2023 4/7/2023 5/7/2023 6/7/2023 7/7/2023 8/7/2023 9/7/2023 District 10 Drop-offs District 10 Pickups Drop-offs per district Households 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Expansion • Expansion currently planned for Districts 1, 7, and 6 • Timeline for additional districts to be determined Public Outreach • Letter and postcard • AustinTexas.gov/HHWpilot Public Outreach • Service alerts were created and sent via the mobile app to residents in Districts 4 and 10 • 75 events attended with RRDOC information with targeted information in Districts 4 and 10 Questions? Andy Dawson andy.dawson@austintexas.gov 512-974-4342
Litter Abatement Programs: Efforts to Keep Austin Clean ARR Litter Abatement Division Sam Gilbert-Acting Division Manager Citywide Homelessness Background… • In 2019, ARR in partnership with other City departments developed the Violet Bag Program to help abate litter in public places. • The program became a way for persons experiencing homelessness to properly dispose of debris generated at the sites. • ARR installed purple kiosks, 96-gallon carts and violet bags at numerous locations. • ARR serviced nearly fifty (50) locations for the Violet Bag Program. • With the camping ban in 2021, sites have reduced to one (1) location. Homelessness Encampment Cleanup Transportation & Public Works Department • TPW handles the cleanup of over thirty (30) underpasses throughout the city. Austin Parks and Recreation Department • The PARD department is responsible for encampment abatement on Austin parklands. Austin Resource Recovery Department • ARR partners with both TPW and PARD to provide personnel, equipment and removal of debris from encampments. • ARR assists TPW with underpass cleanups such as Cameron Rd, IH35 corridor and Menchaca Road. • ARR administers a multi-department cleaning contract. Homelessness Encampment Cleanup • Austin Resource Recovery partners with several City of Austin Departments to provide encampment cleanup throughout the city. • Encampment locations have moved to parklands, greenbelts, undeveloped private property and some corridor underpasses. • Challenges include accessibility, terrain and both loose and bulk debris at the camps. Violet Keepsafe Storage Program Violet Keepsafe Storage Program • Provides carts for people experiencing homelessness to store personal possessions. • Initially 85 bins were installed, but now there are 339 in place for utilization. • On average approximately 60 individuals use them daily. Homeless H.E.A.L. Sites H.E.A.L.- Housing-focused Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) Initiative • Focuses on closing encampments deemed unsafe. • Offer individuals pathway to crisis shelters and stable housing while reducing public camping. • Partnership between departments has safely cleaned and closed 16 H.E.A.L. sites. Homeless Encampment Cleanup ENCAMPMENT CLEANUP TONNAGE 1,528 1,177 380 WEIGHT IN TONS FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Clean Creeks Program • Austin Resource Recovery cleans the embankments along area creeks. • ARR partners with Watershed Protection Department. • Comprised of six(6) full time employees. • Clean up: 30 designated sites as well as pop-up sites along the creek's corridor. • ARR and WPD continue to find ways to increase the efforts of keeping these areas clean. Clean Creeks Program Methods to …
RCA Cover Sheet for ZWAC-Revised May 2022 DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT# (NC200000022) ZWAC: 02/07/2024 Council: 03/21/2024 OVERVIEW 1. Requested Contract Term, Authorization, and Current Budget Length of contract and total authorization: This contract expires on 12/03/2024 with no renewal options. This amendment increases the contract amount for continued digital solutions for waste management with Routeware, Inc. by $52,200 for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $297,130. ARR current fiscal year budget: Funding in the amount of $14,000 is available in the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Operating Budget of Austin Resource Recovery Funding. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. 2. Solicitation Information Solicitation No: N/A # of bids received: # of non-responsive bids received: Length of time solicitation was out on the street: Was the time extended? Issued date: Closed date: 3. Previous Contract Information Previous contract: N/A Contract number: Contract length and authorization: Contract actual spend: Current status: Contract execution date: Contract expiration date: 4. Notes/Other The amendment will provide continued use of a customer-facing mobile application and website widget for Austin Resource Recovery (ARR). Several tools are bundled within the app and widget to help ARR educate and inform customers, including customer collection calendars, service alert messaging, campaign messaging, the What Do I Do With tool, the waste sorting game, Recycle & RCA Cover Sheet for ZWAC-Revised May 2022 Reuse Drop-Off Center appointment scheduling, and special collection scheduling for ARR’s on-call bulk, brush, and household hazardous waste collection programs (On-Call Collection Programs). The requested amendment allows ARR to expand the on-call service scheduling tool for the City’s On- Call Collection Programs beyond pilot testing to customer-wide program offerings. If a contract amendment is not secured, the On-Call Collection Programs cannot be offered to all ARR customers. This contract was established using a Sourcewell cooperative agreement. Sourcewell establishes competitively bid contracts that can be utilized by the State and other government agencies through a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements save taxpayers dollars by leveraging the State’s volume-buying power to drive down costs on hundreds of contracts through a streamlined cooperative purchasing program. REVIEWED AND APPROVED FOR ZWAC Name Date Compiled By: Contract Development February 1, 2024 Reviewed By: Victoria Rieger End-user/Contract Manager: Keri Greenwalt February 1, 2024 February 1, 2024 CITY OF AUSTIN RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNCIL ACTION VENDOR: ROUTEWARE, INC. COUNCIL DATE: 03/21/2024 SUBJECT: Authorize an amendment to …
ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE (URO) COMMITTEE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2022, 12:00 PM 4815 Mueller Blvd Shudde Fath Conference Room AUSTIN, TEXAS 78723 Some members of the ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION may be participating by video conference. Public comment will be allowed in person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To register to speak, members of the public must: Call or email Elizabeth Nelson at (512) 974-6492 or Elizabeth.Nelson@austintexas.gov CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Cathy Gattuso (Chair); Kaiba White; and Melissa Caudle AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten (10) speakers registered to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. Approve the minutes of the Zero Waste Advisory Commission URO Committee Meeting on October 20, 2022. Discussion and possible action on stakeholder feedback, timeline, and development related to possible amendments to the Universal Recycling Ordinance to include organic waste collection at multifamily properties. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT Page 1 of 2 The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Yahel Baranovicht, in the Austin Resource Recovery Department, at 512-974-1733, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Zero Waste Advisory Commission, please contact Yahel Baranovicht at (512) 974-1733. Page 2 of 2
ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION (ZWAC) UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE (URO) COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES October 20, 2022 The ZWAC URO Committee convened on October 20, 2022, at Austin City Hall; 301 W 2nd St.; Austin, TX; 78701 Committee members in attendance: Cathy Gattuso (Chair) and Kaiba White City staff in attendance: Selene Castillo, Katie Mulholland, Elizabeth Nelson, and Elizabeth Taylor 1. CALL TO ORDER a. Committee Chair Cathy Gattuso called the committee meeting to order at 1:05 p.m. 2. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION One (1) speaker spoke during the opportunity for public communication. Emily Hanson of Chewie Labs expressed support for organics diversion as part of universal recycling policy and asked for examples of models in other cities in the U.S. Austin can look to for success. 3. MEETING MINUTES a. A motion to approve the June 30, 2022, meeting minutes with no amendments or revisions was made by Commissioner White and seconded by Commissioner Gattuso. The minutes were approved with a 2-0 vote. 4. NEW BUSINESS a. Elizabeth Nelson (ARR) led discussion on composting at multifamily properties. b. Commissioners, staff, and stakeholders discussed the potential financial impact of adding composting at multifamily properties, specifically how it could impact low-income renters. Discussion included costs for haulers and processors, potential for incentives and subsidies, and how economies of scale can reduce costs. c. Commissioners, staff, and stakeholders discussed the processing capacity available through the haulers present in the meeting, and the potential for contamination. d. Stakeholders and commissioners discussed the need for comprehensive education for residents including sustainability impacts of composting. Staff answered questions about how the City can provide education to residents and current education requirements of the URO. e. Commissioners and stakeholders discussed their desire to see access to compost increased through a requirement to provide the service to residents. f. Stakeholders, commissioners, and staff discussed the need to affect behavior change and g. Staff and commissioners discussed the next steps including the future stakeholder meeting engage residents. schedule. 5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: multifamily properties a. Commissioners White and Gattuso requested a continued discussion of composting at b. Commissioner White requested discussion on front-of-house recycling and composting. c. Commissioner White requested discussion on landscaping organics diversion requirements. 1 ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION (ZWAC) UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE (URO) COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES October 20, 2022 6. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner White motions to adjourn the meeting at 2:34 p.m. without objection. 2
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Zero Waste Advisory Commission Resolution on Multifamily Composting WHEREAS, it is the Responsibility of the Zero Waste Advisory Commission to review, evaluate and make recommendations to City Council, city management and city staff regarding policies concerning solid waste, recycling, composting, and Zero Waste goals; and WHEREAS, Austin Resource Recovery waste audits indicate that about 37% of waste from multifamily properties is organic material that could be composted; and WHEREAS, Austin Resource Recovery does not provide composting collection at multifamily properties with greater than four units; and WHEREAS, approximately 55% of Austin residents live in multifamily housing of greater than four units and therefore have no convenient access to composting; and WHEREAS, it is impossible for Austin to reach its Zero Waste goal without providing multifamily residents convenient access to composting; and WHEREAS, reducing organic waste in landfills is important for achieving the goals of the Austin Climate Equity Plan because organic material in landfills produces methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas; and WHEREAS, the adoption of composting services should ultimately reduce trash hauling costs due to decreased volume in the trash; and WHEREAS, it is in the community's interest to reduce the amount of waste put in landfills to avoid building new landfills, which often cause environmental injustices; and WHEREAS, consistency in access to composting and recycling throughout the Austin community is important; and 11/08/2022 1 WHEREAS, Austin Resource Recovery conducted a multifamily composting pilot that demonstrated that composting is feasible and affordable at multifamily properties and that a large portion of residents will utilize composting services if they are provided; and WHEREAS, the multifamily composting pilot demonstrated that education around composting is important and that physical tools and materials are most helpful; and WHEREAS, face-to-face conversations are most effective for motivating people and Austin Resource Recovery doesn't currently have sufficient staff to conduct outreach to residents at multifamily properties; and WHEREAS, Austin Resource Recovery data shows that a majority of multifamily properties are not providing the required recycling education to their residents; and WHEREAS, in 2000 the City of Austin adopted a comprehensive Master Plan and in 2019 Passed Resolution 20191017-028 recommending organic waste collection be provided at all commercial and multi-family properties; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Zero Waste Advisory Commission recommends that Austin Resource Recovery drafts an amendment to the Universal Recycling Ordinance to require composting collection at all multifamily properties …
Multifamily Compost Stakeholder Meeting Summary Meeting Dates: 10/6/2022 (9 attendees) 10/20/2022 (8 attendees) 11/2/2022 (7 attendees) 11/14/2022 (11 attendees) Stakeholders present: Austin Tenant’s Council, Austin Apartment Association, multifamily property managers, multifamily residents, environmental advocacy organizations, organics haulers. FINDINGS: Stakeholder Meetings and Survey Composting access needs to be convenient for multifamily residents to divert organic waste. Complete education is needed for residents to use composting services correctly to reduce contamination, and to encourage participation. Education should not only include information on how to use compost services, but also on the importance and impact of composting. Stakeholders are concerned about how costs may be passed on to residents. While the costs demonstrated in the pilot were not concerning, many fear actual costs may be inflated when passed on to residents if composting requirements are enacted. Contamination is a concern for property managers, residents, and processors. There is a lower threshold for acceptable contamination in composting than in recycling, with improper materials like glass having the potential to ruin large quantities of finished product. To discourage contamination, processors charge fees if contamination is detected. These potential fees could drive up the cost of composting service for multifamily properties in an unpredictable manner. Stakeholders expressed the need for flexibility with compliance in any requirements, such as waivers for challenging situations like space constraints. Multifamily residents responding to the survey: o were overall in favor of the addition of composting services, but also expressed concerns with cleanliness, odors, and pests. o expressed concerns with contamination and improper use of composting containers. Many mentioned this is a current concern with recycling services that are required by the URO, and that this issue could continue or be exacerbated with the addition of composting. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends amending the URO to include access to composting services at multifamily properties. Staff recommends continuing to engage with stakeholders identified in the resolution to develop these requirements and a timeline for implementation.
REGULAR MEETING of the ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION NOVEMBER 9TH, 2022 6:00 PM CITY HALL ROOM 1001 301 W 2ND ST AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the BOARD/COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Yahel Baranovicht at (512) 974-1733 or Yahel.Baranovicht@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Cathy Gattuso (Vice-Chair) Gerry Acuna (Chair) District 10 Albert Swantner District 1 Melissa Caudle District 4 Ian Steyaert District 8 CALL TO ORDER District 5 Melissa Rothrock District 2 Ethan Myers District 6 Ingrid Powell District 9 AGENDA PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 3 speakers signed up *prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of minutes of the ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING on September 14, 2022. Amanda Masino Mayor Jonathan Barona District 3 Kaiba White District 7 DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Trash in Creeks Presentation – Andrew Clamann DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 3. URO Update and Proposed Implementation – Jason McCombs 4. Fleet System Enhancement Project Presentation – Marcus Gonzalez 5. 2023 ZWAC Meeting Dates – Ken Snipes DIRECTOR’S REPORT 6. Brush Collection, Solicitations Update, Performance Reports, and Statistical Reports FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least two days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Yahel Baranovicht at Austin Resource Recovery Department, at (512) 974-1733 for additional information; TTY users’ route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Zero Waste Advisory Commission, please contact Yahel Baranovicht at (512) 974-1733 or Yahel.Baranovicht@austintexas.gov.
