ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION SPECIAL CALLED MEETING FEBRUARY 9TH, 2022 6:00 PM CITY HALL, AUSTIN, TX Some members of the ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live CURRENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Gerry Acuna Jonathan Barona Ian Steyaert AGENDA Cathy Gattuso Melissa Rothrock Albert Swantner Amanda Masino Kaiba White Ethan Myers CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first three speakers who register 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. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: October 13th, 2021, Regular Meeting Minutes 2. NEW BUSINESS a) Discussion and Action: 2022 ZWAC Proposed Meeting Schedule- Gerry Acuna b) Discussion and Action: ZWAC FY22 Board Vacancies- Gerry Acuna c) Discussion and Action: Proposal in ARR Wage Increases- Carina Hanson d) Discussion and Action: Trash/Water Wheel on Lady Bird Lake Update-Kaiba White e) Discussion and Action: Recycling Contract Processing Contracts Update- Victoria Rieger 3. DIRECTOR’S REPORT 1. Solicitations Update, Performance Reports, Statistical Reports, Beyond 34, Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) Enforcement Update, URO Multifamily Update FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Future FM 812 Landfill Potential (April) 2022 Annual ZWAC Retreat (April) Open Gov Demo (May) Keep Austin Beautiful Update (August) Small Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Future Opportunities and Involvement ADJOURNMENT 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 Dwight Scales at Austin Resource Recovery Department, at (512)974-2435 for additional information; TTY users’ route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Zero Waste Advisory Commission, please contact Dwight Scales at (512)974-2435.
ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION SPECIAL CALLED MEETING FEBRUARY 9TH, 2022 6:00 PM CITY HALL, AUSTIN, TX Some members of the ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION may be participating by video-conference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live 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. CURRENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Gerry Acuna Jonathan Barona Ian Steyaert REVISED AGENDA Cathy Gattuso Melissa Rothrock Albert Swantner Amanda Masino Kaiba White Ethan Myers CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first three speakers who register 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. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: October 13th, 2021, Regular Meeting Minutes 2. NEW BUSINESS a) Discussion and Action: 2022 ZWAC Proposed Meeting Schedule- Gerry Acuna b) Discussion and Action: ZWAC FY22 Board Vacancies- Gerry Acuna c) Discussion and Action: Proposal in ARR Wage Increases- Carina Hanson d) Discussion and Action: Trash/Water Wheel on Lady Bird Lake Update-Kaiba White e) Discussion and Action: Recycling Contract Processing Contracts Update- Victoria Rieger 3. DIRECTOR’S REPORT 1. Solicitations Update, Performance Reports, Statistical Reports, Beyond 34, Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) Enforcement Update, URO Multifamily Update FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Future FM 812 Landfill Potential (April) 2022 Annual ZWAC Retreat (April) Open Gov Demo (May) Keep Austin Beautiful Update (August) Small Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Future Opportunities and Involvement ADJOURNMENT 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 Dwight Scales at Austin Resource Recovery Department, at (512)974-2435 for additional information; TTY users’ route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Zero Waste Advisory Commission, please contact Dwight Scales at (512)974-2435.
A RR Recruitment and Retention Proposal City Council approved Resolution No. 20201001-061, directing the City Manager to review current compensation and training practices and explore opportunities to improve ARR operator retention, compensation, and satisfaction. Commercial drivers are in high demand and many industries are suffering as a result, especially solid waste. Cities such as Dallas have had to delay solid waste collection services due to driver shortages. Austin Resource Recovery is submitting this proposal to avoid the enactment of similar service cutbacks. Austin Resource Recovery is proposing the following plans to address CDL Driver employee shortages: • For newly hired employees in CDL positions, incentives include: o To attract talent and work within our current pay zones, ARR will begin hiring new Driver Track Employees as per the following hourly rates: CDL Bump: $18 (3 months) Trainee: $19 (9 months) New Hire Temp: $17 Operator: $20 (1 year 3 months) Operator Senior $21.42 (2 years 3 months) o ARR is recommending a retention incentive to retain newly hired full-time operations and difficult-to-fill positions. The retention incentive looks to target difficult to fill and difficult to retain roles. The retention incentive will roll out over the course of two years as per the following: Payout Schedule for $3,000 Retention Incentive (New Operations Employees and Difficult to Fill Positions): $500 to be paid within the first 90 days (3 mon) $500 to be paid within 180 days (6 mon) • • • • $1000 to be paid during Calendar Year 2022 PP26(after one year of continued employment) $1000 to be paid during Calendar Year 2023 PP 26 (after two years of continued employment) • For current employees incentives include o For purposes of equity, ARR is proposing the following pay increase for current employees in the following positions who make below the proposed hourly rates: Trainee $19 (this will impact 22 employees who would get an average $0.62/hr increase) Operator $20 (this will impact 27 employees would get an average of $0.51/hr increase) Senior Operator $21 (this will impact 6 employees would get an average of $0.37/hr increase) o For purposes of equity, ARR is recommending a retention incentive to address retention concerns for current full- time employee operation positions (from the ARR Associate through the Assistant Division Manager positions): $500 to be paid after Calendar Year 21 PP26 …
Resolution: Zero Waste Advisory Commission 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, organic management and Zero Waste; and Whereas, Implementation and/or adherence to City policies must be reflected in the process of planning for future disposal and diversion challenges within the City of Austin by supporting Austin Resource Recovery (ARR), who is responsible for implementing such Policies and Operations; and Whereas the operations performed by ARR are considered vital to the health and safety of the Citizens of Austin and must therefore adhere to the highest standards possible; and Whereas, to adhere to such high health and safety standards requires that ARR seek, employ, train, and retain top Employees; and Whereas, the City of Austin has grown dramatically in population, development and competitiveness over the past five years that identifying, employing, training and retaining top personnel has become extremely challenging within our City and CAPCOG Region; and Whereas, in 2021 the CAPCOG Region of Texas was awarded two of this Country’s most sought after corporate relocations in its history with the decision of Tesla, Inc. and Samsung Electronics to relocate their respective corporate headquarters to our region; and Whereas, with the national inflation rate currently exceeding 5% and that of the City of Austin approaching 6%, City of Austin employees are experiencing unparalleled ‘paycheck erosion’; and Whereas, over the previous 18 months ARR has experienced an unprecedented exodus of department employees to private sector employers or retirement; and Whereas, the City of Austin and Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) are finding employee retention extremely challenging due to ‘paycheck erosion’ and the aggressive private sector recruitment of ARR personnel with higher compensation, ‘Sign on Bonuses’ and less physically strenuous job descriptions; and PROPOSED FOR ZWAC Whereas, the City of Austin and Travis County housing and rental markets have become unaffordable for many City of Austin and Austin Resource Recovery employees due to exorbitant property valuations and rental cost increases; and Whereas, these property cost increases have dramatically exceeded current employee compensation which make property ownership and rental unobtainable to many City of Austin and ARR employees; Now Therefore, Be It Resolved That the Zero Waste Advisory Commission of the City of Austin; Respectfully asks City Management and City Council to formally consider a compensation adjustment for ARR staff …
Proposed 2022 Meeting Schedule Zero Waste Advisory Commission The Commission shall meet at 6:00 PM on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Proposed Meeting Dates January 12, 2022 February 9, 2022 No meeting April 13, 2022 May 11, 2022 June 8, 2022 No meeting August 10, 2022 September 14, 2022 No meeting November 9, 2022 Proposed Locations* Council Chambers Council Chambers Council Chambers Council Chambers Council Chambers Council Chambers Council Chambers Council Chambers Council Chambers Council Chambers Council Chambers *City Hall, 301 West 2nd Street, Austin, Texas 78701 at 6:00 P.M. +Proposed locations are tentative and may change, please check the Boards and Commission Website
Recycling Processing Contracts *Update* ZWAC Presentation February 9th , 2022 Services Provided •20-Year Master Agreement with Reset Periods •Receipt of City Collected Recyclables •Process, Sort, Bale, and Market Recyclables Reset • Agreements allow for periodic contract resets • Award Percent – percent of City recyclable material delivered to each vendor (subject to reset) • Evaluation Criteria for determining Award Percent • Vendor’s pricing proposal • Vendor’s performance after First Reset Date, measured in part by percentage of Recyclable Materials that Vendor sold to reputable recycling processors or otherwise diverted from disposal for reuse • Vendor’s “good-will, teamwork, community engagement, and recycling education efforts” • Additional relevant factors Timeline–2nd Reset Action per Contract Date Notify Vendors of Reset Period August 1, 2020 Vendors submit documentation to City including Community Engagement Efforts September 30, 2020 Vendors notify City of desire to change volume or add services November 1, 2020 Vendors submit pricing proposals to City March 22, 2021 City to establish Award Percent September 15, 2021 Contract Reset Date October 15, 2021 Goals and Council Direction • Allow both COA and vendor(s) • Strong communication and to live through a range of market conditions • Shared risk and reward collaboration • Clear expectations CM Alter Direction • Negotiate terms that allow for stronger proof and transparency that our recyclable materials are being recycled rather than placed in landfills. • Further the city’s zero waste goals and minimize the city’s carbon footprint. As new technologies become available, the City Manager is directed to explore all avenues to recycle most materials from the City of Austin. • Negotiate terms that provide the best value for Austin’s ratepayers. Contract Highlights Balcones Resources Texas Disposal Systems Column1 Award Percent Min. Monthly Tonnage (avg.) Revenue Share % Processing Fee per ton Revenue Share Formula Change 60% 2000 75% $98 Yes 40% 2000 20% $50 No Contract Highlights Balcones Resources Texas Disposal Systems Column1 Indices: Ave. to High-side Customer Education Fee Expanded Audit Terms Expanded Safety Inspection Strengthen Non- degradation clause Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Revenue Share Payment Calculation Revenue Share Payment Texas Disposal Systems Balcones Resources (Revenue Percent X Value of Recyclable Material) – Processing Fee Net Value of Recyclable Material = Gross Value of Recyclable Material – Processing Fee Then Revenue Share Payment = Net Value of Recyclable Material x Revenue Percent In the case that the Processing Fee exceeds …
To: From: Date: Subject: Zero Waste Advisory Commission Ken Snipes Director Austin Resource Recovery February, 9th, 2022 Director’s Monthly Report to the Zero Waste Advisory Commission Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) Enforcement Update: Austin Resource Recovery's (ARR) Commercial Compliance Unit (CCU) is comprised of 2 Code Compliance Officers who contact responsible parties and conduct site visits to properties or permit holders identified by City staff or by complaints as non-compliant with ordinances. The goal of the CCU is to support ongoing department public education, and when necessary, hold non-compliant businesses and permit holders accountable in municipal court. 9 The department hired its first CCU staff in 2020 and spent much of the past year creating internal procedures, developing a software system, and contacting potentially non-compliant properties. Prior to 2020, the City had limited opportunity to provide onsite visits from Code Compliance Officers and was reliant upon education alone to seek compliance. CCU began URO inspections in early FY21. As of December 2021, CCU has conducted 742 site visits, responded to 5 complaints, and followed up on 86 denied waivers. Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) Multifamily Update: In FY21, ARR’s Business Outreach Team (BOT) notified all multifamily properties of the URO’s capacity increase by mail and email in Oct. 2020 and again in June 2021. The BOT also took out print and digital ads March 2020 (FY20) through Dec. 2020 and hosted a joint webinar with Austin Apartments Association (AAA) in Nov. 2020. In terms of compliance, 86% of multifamily properties (1,208) reported meeting the new capacity requirements by either providing at least a 1:1 ratio of landfill trash to recycling/organics services or 24 gallons/unit/week of recycling/organics services. Of the 14% of multifamily properties (201) that requested a waiver for not meeting the new capacity requirements, 13% (181 properties) were above the previous 6.4 gallons/unit/week requirement, but below the new 24 gallons/unit/week increase. Only 1% (20 properties) reported being below the 50% diversion requirement and of 6.4 gallons/unit/week. The BOT contacted all multifamily properties that requested a waiver for being below the new 24 gallons/unit/week requirement to let them know of the new capacity requirements and approved waivers with more than 6.4 gallons/unit/week according to the “implementation year” prescribed by the administrative rules (Administrative Rules Chapter 15-5 Section 8.12.3), but denied waivers below 6.4 gallons/unit/week. So far in FY22, a third of multifamily properties (554) that have reported and 92% (509) have reported …
Zero Waste Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes October 13th, 2021 The Monthly Meeting of the Zero Waste Advisory Commission convened through Video Conference on Wednesday, October 13th, 2021, due to COVID-19 Disaster Declaration for all Texas Counties. The following are the meeting highlights. For detailed information please visit: https://austintx.new.swagit.com/videos/141646 CALL TO ORDER Chair Acuna called the Commission Meeting to order at 6:28 pm Board Members in Attendance: Gerry Acuna, Cathy Gattuso, Amanda Masino, Jonathan Barona, Ian Steyaert, Melissa Rothrock and Kaiba White Board Members not in Attendance: none Staff in attendance via WebEx: Ken Snipes, Tammie Williamson, Richard McHale, Amy Slagle, Gena McKinley, Andy Dawson, Donald Hardee, Dwight Scales, Jason McCombs, Brent Paige, Mike Lewis, Natalie Betts, Young Park, Blanche Quarterman, Victoria Rieger, Amy Schillerstrom, Memi Cardenas, Myra Rios, Lori Scott, Selene Castillo, Claudia Nava, Liz Jambor, Brian Kennedy, Shana Riviello and William Purcell Chair Acuna opened with comments, 1. APPROVAL of the August 19th, 2021 Meeting Minutes Chair Acuna entertained a motion to approve the August 19th, 2021 Meeting minutes. Commissioner Cathy Gattuso made the first motion for approval of the minutes. A second motion was provided by Commissioner Ian Steyaert Item passed Unanimously 2a. Discussion and Action: Electrical Recycling RCA This is Andy Dawson from Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) resource recovery. This item was originally scheduled for the last month, but due to operational needs, it will be on the council agenda tomorrow. We would like to ask for a favorable recommendation for award on its contract with Universal Recycling Technologies to provide electronics recycling for up to fifty-five months for an amount not to exceed $720,000. This contract will provide for the pickup transportation and recycling of electronics recycling use drop-off center contractor must recycle the materials in an environmentally sound manner in accordance with the eastern standard or responsible cycling of electronic equipment of the Basil Action Network, you know, work as well as clients with all federal state and local laws. I'm available to answer any questions that anyone may have. Commissioner White replied, I know, I think we had maybe some discussion about this in the past but is this, can you, can you describe this? is, is this for vehicles, or is this for the services? Chair Acuna replied, it’s the Andy it's for the actual, technology recycling, right? Andy Replied this is so, both city departments and residents can drop off electronics at …
Zero Waste Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes February 9th, 2022 The Monthly Meeting of the Zero Waste Advisory Commission convened through Video Conference on Wednesday, February 9th, 2022, due to COVID-19 Disaster Declaration for all Texas Counties. The following are the meeting highlights. For detailed information please visit: https://Austintx.new.swagit.com/videos/154297 CALL TO ORDER Chair Acuna called the Commission Meeting to order at 6:05 pm Board Members in Attendance: Gerry Acuna, Cathy Gattuso, Amanda Masino, Jonathan Barona, Ian Steyaert, Melissa Rothrock, Ethan Myers, Albert Swantner, and Kaiba White Board Members not in Attendance: none Staff in attendance via WebEx: Ken Snipes, Tammie Williamson, Richard McHale, Amy Slagle, Gena McKinley, Andy Dawson, Donald Hardee, Dwight Scales, Jason McCombs, Brent Paige, Blanche Quarterman, Victoria Rieger,Amy Schillerstrom, Shana Riviello, William Purcell, Carina Hanson, Marcus Gonzalez and Bill Huck Chair Acuna opened with comments, 1. APPROVAL of the October 13th, 2021, Meeting Minutes Chair Acuna entertained a motion to approve the October 13th, 2021, Meeting minutes. Commissioner Ian Steyaert made the first motion for approval of the minutes. A second motion was provided by Commissioner Jonathan Barona Item passed Unanimously 2a. 2022 ZWAC Proposed Meeting Schedule- Gerry Acuna Chair Gerard Acuna entertained a motion to recommend to approve the 2022 ZWAC Proposed Meeting Schedule. Commissioner Melissa Rothrock the first motion for approval, A second motionwas provided by Commissioner Cathy Gattuso Recommend unanimously by the Zero Waste Advisory Commission on a 9-0 vote 2b. ZWAC FY22 Board Vacancies- Gerry Acuna Chair Acuna discussed Board Vacancies and potential barriers to getting the last two seats filled on the ZWAC commission. Chair Acuna thanked and welcomed the two new members of ZWAC for joining. 2c. Proposal in ARR Wage Increases- Carina Hanson Carina Hanson Austin Resource Recovery provided an update on Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) Recruitment and Retention Proposal. Carina stated City Council approved Resolution No. 20201001-061, directing the City Manager to review current compensation and training practices and explore opportunities to improve ARR operator retention, compensation, and satisfaction. Commercial drivers are in high demand and many industries are suffering as a result, especially solid waste. Cities such as Dallas have had to delay solid waste collection services due to driver shortages. Austin Resource Recovery is submitting this proposal to avoid the enactment of similar service cutbacks. Austin Resource Recovery is proposing the following plans to address CDL Driver employee shortages. Commissioner White asked, these hourly rates, I'm wondering how …
