Assembly OKs Bell Report, SWAB Recommendations

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Casey Kelly/KMXT
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly has accepted the recommendations of its Solid Waste Advisory Board for long-term solid waste collection and disposal services, as well as a solid waste management plan prepared for the borough by Bell and Associates. Now, the borough is getting ready to solicit bids for the collection of trash. KMXT’s Casey Kelly has more.

Thursday’s assembly meeting included three items dealing with the borough’s ongoing solid waste issues. The first item was acknowledging receipt of the SWAB’s recommendations for the long-term goals for the collection and disposal of solid waste. The SWAB recommended modest to significant changes from current services, with an emphasis on recycling and extending the lifespan of the borough’s landfill. The assembly accepted the recommendations unanimously.

The second item was accepting Bell and Associates’ draft solid waste master plan. That caused a bit more dissension amongst members of the borough assembly. Assemblyman Tom Abell said he was unhappy with the report.

(Abell 1 :20s “…least amount of money.”)

Assemblywoman Louise Stutes said the report left her with some unanswered questions, and suggested that the assembly should hold off on accepting it.

(Stutes 1 :11s “…and Associates to address them.”)

But Mayor Jerome Selby said the report doesn’t mean anything is set in stone, and that it will be up to the assembly, the SWAB, and the community how to proceed with securing the best possible solid waste services for Kodiak.

(Selby 1 :33s “…through these decisions, workmanlike.”)

Stutes said part of her problem was that she was expecting a study and what she felt like she got was a plan. Assemblywoman Sue Jeffrey said it was a plan, with aspects of a study incorporated into it.

(Jeffrey 1 :37s “…and that’s the study part of it.”)

The assembly voted 4-3 to accept Bell and Associates’ solid waste master plan, with Abell, Stutes and Reed Oswalt casting the no votes.

The final solid waste item on the assembly’s agenda was directing borough staff to start the process for soliciting proposals for solid waste collection services. Assemblyman Jerrol Friend, who made the motion, explained how he would like the request for proposals process to move forward.

(Friend 1 :13s “…will recommend it to us for approval.”)

The assembly voted 7-0 to have staff start the RFP process. The SWAB’s recommendation for collection services calls for fully automated or semi-automated home collection at various rates, with two or three different sizes of garbage can, and the eventual elimination of residential dumpsters.

I’m Casey Kelly.

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