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 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 …
