Torrance County Funding Requests

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For the record, No Dangerous or Hazardous Material’s in the Landfill

 Joseph Ellis, EVSWA’s General Manger, refutes claims (Construction & Demolition materials) contain dangerous or hazardous materials.  Mr. Ellis was ask by EVSWA board member, Joe Barnes, “I have a question, so for the record Mr. Ellis, you’re not putting any (unclear on video) or hazardous materials in the land fill” to which Mr. Ellis replies, “We are not, we are not”.  Board member Larry Irvin added “Comment, we never have, you never have been”, to which Mr. Ellis replies “we never have been”. 

Although Mr. Ellis in part of his presentation indicated that all C&D materials are “monitored and tested prior to coming to the land fill” one must wonder if that is possible.  EVSWA is reducing man power, has recently indicated that they are going into deficit, and with the fact all state agencies are under manned and under budgeted one must wonder how the monitoring and testing for each load is completed.

As a member of the public attending this meeting, I have to wonder if such definitive statements are wise coming from a board that can bank massive liability against members of the JPA (Joint Powers Agreement) and county residents.  Perhaps EVSWA would take additional steps in transparency by providing copies of their policies and procedures as well as copies of monitoring and testing reports on their section of the Torrance County web site for the public to review.  

Trash Board Meeting Agenda (EVSWA)

ESTANCIA VALLEY SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority has called a regular meeting of the Board for November 15th at 3 PM. The meeting will be held at the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority main office, 515 Allen Street, Estancia, New Mexico.

AGENDA

I. Roll Call
II. Approval of Agenda

III. Approval of Minutes of Regular Board Meeting of October 18, 2012; and Special Meeting of November 1, 2012

IV. Manager’s Report

V. Financial Report

VI. County contract sustainability planning

VII. Resolution 2012-10: By-Laws Amendment

VIII. Resolution 2012-11: FOIA document fee

IX. Public Requests: At the discretion of the presiding officer. For information only (no action can be taken). Comments are limited to two minutes or less per person.

X. Announcements & Meeting Schedule Executive Committee Meeting: December ___, 2012 Board Meeting Date: December 20, 2012

XI. Adjourn.

The public is invited to attend the meeting. Notice of the Public Meeting has been given in compliance with section 10-15-1 NMSA 1978. If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact the EVSWA Office at 515 Allen Street, Estancia, New Mexico, 87016 (505) 384-4270 at least one week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats. Please contact the EVSWA Office if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed.

Procedure and application for agenda item requests are available from the EVSWA Office or at tcnm.org.

ESTANCIA VALLEY SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY AGENDA

ESTANCIA VALLEY SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority has called a regular meeting of the Board for October 18th at 3 PM. The meeting will be held at the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority main office, 515 Allen Street, Estancia, New Mexico.

AGENDA

I. Roll Call

II. Approval of Agenda

III. Approval of Minutes of Regular Board Meeting of September 20, 2012

IV. Audience participation

V. Discussion Item: Arthur DuCharme (10 minutes)
Roles and responsibilities of board members

VI. Manager’s Report

VII. Executive Session – As per motion and roll call vote, pursuant to New Mexico
Statute Section 10-15-1, the following matters will be discussed in closed session:

Bargaining strategy preliminary to collective bargaining negotiations between the policy making body and a bargaining unit representing the employees of that policymaking body:
10-15-1 to 10-15-4, Sec H Subparagraph 52.

VIII. First Quarter Financial Report

IX. Bernalillo County Tipping Fee

X. Resolution 2012-9: Adjusted FY13 Budget

XI. Close Willard Collection Station

XII. Announcements &; Meeting Schedule

Executive Committee Meeting: November ___, 2012

Board Meeting Date: November 15, 2012

XIII. Adjourn.

The public is invited to attend the meeting. Notice of the Public Meeting has been given in compliance with section 10-15- 1 NMSA 1978. If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact the EVSWA Office at 515 Allen Street, Estancia, New Mexico, 87016 (505) 384-4270 at least one week prior to the meeting
or as soon as possible. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats.

Please contact the EVSWA Office if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed.

Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority – Agenda

ESTANCIA VALLEY SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETING

DRAFT

Notice is hereby given that the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority has called a regular meeting of the Board for October 18th at 3 PM. The meeting will be held at the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority main office, 515 Allen Street, Estancia, New Mexico.

AGENDA

I. Roll Call

II. Approval of Agenda

III. Approval of Minutes of Regular Board Meeting of September 20, 2012

IV. Audience participation

V. Discussion Item: Arthur DuCharme (10 minutes) Roles &responsibilities of board members.

VI. Manager’s Report

VII. First Quarter Financial Report

VIII. Bernalillo County Tipping Fee

IX. Resolution 2012-9: Adjusted FY13 Budget

X. Close Willard Collection Station

XI. Announcements & Meeting Schedule

Executive Committee Meeting: November ___, 2012

Board Meeting Date: November 15, 2012

XII. Adjourn.

 

The public is invited to attend the meeting. Notice of the Public Meeting has been given in compliance with section 10-15-1 NMSA 1978. If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact the EVSWA Office at 515 Allen Street, Estancia, New Mexico, 87016 (505) 384-4270 at least one week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats.  Please contact the EVSWA Office if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed.

EVSWA Recycling Program – How’s It Working So Far?

 After all of the years of waiting, the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority has finally begun a viable recycling program that will save all of us money by reducing the amount of landfill space used, will help keep our national resources in good shape, will help keep our county clean, and will full fill a mandate placed on trash agencies throughout the state to participate in recycling.

The new program is just getting off the ground and with all things new, there is some confusion as to what ESVWA can take as recyclable items.  I have heard from a few people that items listed on the flyer’s as acceptable were refused at the stations. 

Being such a new program for ESVWA, it would be a great idea to call their offices for clarification on what items are being accepted as well as for we the public to use a little common sense.

Perhaps EVSWA would consider creating and distributing an itemized list of what they can accept and manage.  In the past,  I served on a recycling committee (Treasure Traders) and remember that committee working very well together – there were so many great ideas and members of the committee provided their time, talents, and personal monies all to benefit the county.  Maybe EVSWA could put together another citizens committee to help define recyclable items and to help educate our county on the benefits and use of a viable recycling program. 

There is a huge interest in recycling in our county and it would be shame for folks to get frustrated and give up on it – should this fledgling program fail, we would have wasted a fantastic opportunity to benefit residents and our county as well as the tax dollars that have been granted for construction of the facilities. 

Let all get behind our recycling program and help EVSWA make this thing work!

Torrance County Recyling Grant – Center Grand Opening October 28th

At the regular meeting of the Torrance County Commission, there was an update to the recycling grant received by Torrance County Solid Waste.  Below is an excerpt from the regular meeting of the Torrance County Commision meeting held August 24, 2011.  I was late to this meeting so was unable to capture the begining of the session, however, the portion of the entire meeting that I was able to video is available on YouTube.  Here is a link to the full video of that meeting:

http://youtu.be/XYO2GTTMBG8

Get Ready To Sort Your Trash Torrance County

During the October 27, 2010 Torrance County Commission meeting, Joseph Ellis of the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority (ESVWA) presented information regarding possible stimulus funding for creation of a recycling center in Torrance County.  The funding would provide monies to erect a building and purchase necessary equipment for the recycling operation.  Mr. Ellis indicated ESVWA has space at their current location, required site testing in place as well as room to build the structure to house the recycling center.  He further commented that the project met criteria for stimulus shovel ready funding and that work had to be completed by June 2011.  

Commissioner Chavez-Gutierrez questioned additional staffing requirements included in the funding package to which Mr. Ellis commented that it was unclear how quickly new staff could be hired for the recycling facility because it was unclear how quickly the project would become self supportive.  Additionally, Mr. Ellis indicated that the recycling facility would be easy to operate as items would be pre sorted before reaching the facility.  Recycling in Torrance County – that would be nice!

Pre-sorted before reaching the recycling facility and questions regarding self supporting operations raises a few question from this writer.  How will that trash be pre-sorted?  Many residents in Torrance County (our family is one of them) have had running battles with Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority for years. 

From on again off again hours, rules regarding what you can dump changing week to week, vacant rates applied to non-trash generating properties, to invasion of privacy via the ever unpopular residential trash inspections, I think it valid to cautiously question any changes to ESVWA and managements approach to consumers when those changes are on the horizon.  Will the opening of a recycling center in Torrance County create another opportunity for ESVWA to brow beat and abuse their mandated customer base?

An added concern is how will the recycling program be paid for?   Every item that ESVWA plans to accept for recycling should have resale value to recycling companies. ESVWA already generates income from refrigerators and other metal items deposited at trash stations.  Management should be able to produce projected figures regarding income generation for additional recycling activities.  Statements by Mr. Ellis regarding the unclear nature of how quickly the recycling facility will be able to generate self supporting income leads me to suspect additional increases for consumers from ESVWA in the near future as well as potential burden on Torrance Counties already depleted finances.

Don’t get me wrong I am all for recycling.  Recycling has been a stated primary assignment of trash agencies since their inception and it is more than time for ESVWA to perform duties as assigned. 

My hope is that ESVWA management will put aside the my way or the high way approach on this and all future projects, instead, choosing to include consumers input during the formation of recycling policies, procedures, and cost increases to create a positive environment for successful recycling in Torrance County.  Let this be a project that all of Torrance County will take pride in as well as enjoy participating in.