Goals to support the County to forge a positive solid waste future for Sonoma County
Goals for the short term: 1. Help keep options as open as possible, meaning don’t lock Sonoma County into any agreement that would restrict options for the long term 2. Help design and implement a process for forging a positive solid waste future for Sonoma County
Goals for the long-term:
- Maximize greenhouse gas reduction in the solid waste sector
- Promote local economy including local jobs
- Conduct a process and achieve results satisfactory to major stakeholders (government, business, community)
- Forge a broad-based, collaborative, inspiring process that is a model for solving tough community problems
- Demonstrate to the public that what’s good for the environment is good for the ratepayer (integrate the 3 E’s: Economy, Environment, Everybody/Equity)
Possible short-term approaches to reduce pressure on County
Regulatory pressure:
- County and city representatives go together, as a delegation, to state legislators and seek their help with regulators regarding closure issues.
- Pressure to deal with Sonoma County’s waste after current contracts expire in August 2010:
- We generally agreed with staff’s recommendation to the BOS on Nov. 3 to pursue concurrent paths – both short-term extensions of existing agreements, and an RFP to solicit competitive bids for these services to select the best option should negotiations fail.
- Services sought: Outhaul and operation of transfer stations and disposal capacity at other landfills for 2-5 years. Landfill operator to utilize remaining East Canyon capacity at a reduced fill rate. The goal of such short-term agreements would be to secure services and stable rates for Sonoma County’s solid waste disposal, and to relieve regulatory pressure.
Criteria for a process to develop long-term solid waste solutions
The importance of designing a credible process for long term solutions that builds trust with the cities, businesses, and community has been underscored repeatedly in our conversations. We suggest the following process criteria:
- County approval
- Credibility of major participants
- Includes representatives of key stakeholders
- Effectively builds alignment
- Moves quickly and efficiently
- Access to resources (funds, staff, expertise)
- Transparent
- Distinct from previous process
We welcome your comments and questions. Thank you.
Documents
(9/23/09) Letter and 14-page analysis of proposed landfill divestiture
