Recycling of Construction Debris, instead of burying, moves forward - Delayed

Last Thursday, the PSI Committee of City Council voted to recommend that City
Updated: Oct 2, 2011

My effort to divert construction debris from the landfills suffered a setback when it came to a vote of the full city council. In spite of support from the public works director, the sanitation department director, and the permitting office, Council voted to send it back to committee for further review. I am at a loss to explain why members who voted for it in committee, then spoke against it when it came to full council. However, the nature of this job is similiar to soccer: you seldom get to drive straight to goal. I will continue to work on this issue.

April 17, 2011 Post.
Council approve a proposal of mine to require the recycling of construction debris anytime the project is large enough that a demolition permit is required. This is in the owners best interest because it is actually a little cheaper to reycle construction waste than to sent it to the incinerator. It is in the community's interest because only the wood burns, the rest is buried in our landfill which is seriously limited. Once the landfill is full, we will have to truck the waste ash to some other county that will take it. Then, garbage rates will go up sharply.

UPDATE June 2011

The proposal to require the recycling of construction debris for all projects large enough to also require a demolition permit (kitchen and bathroom remodels do not require this), came to city council this month with the support of public works director, the building official and the sanitation director. A number of city council members opposed the proposal with arguments ranging from it is bad timing to let the market decide if we recycle. Rather than kill it, we sent it back to committee in hopes of trying to find common ground to make progress on this large share of our waste.