Panel Suggests Trash Service Changes

As the city moves forward with possibly revising its waste and recycling services contract, the Hermosa Beach Public Works Commission has recommended a list of options to be considered:

1. Commissioners decided 3-1, with Commissioner Daniel Marinelli as the dissenting vote, to propose collecting residential refuse and recyclables separately.
2. Commissioners unanimously decided residents should receive green waste collection options.
3. Commissioners unanimously decided waste collection rates should be based on the volume of disposed items through a pay-as-you-throw model.
4. Commissioners unanimously decided the waste hauler should provide rolling carts with attached lids to residents for trash and recycling pickup, replacing existing containers.
5. Commissioners decided 3-1, with Commissioner Mike Flaherty as the dissenting vote, to seek contractor bids. The city’s existing contract is with Consolidated Disposal Services.

The City Council is to review the commission’s recommendations in a future meeting.

The Hermosa Beach Green Task Force suggested commissioners deliberate pursuing a waste diversion goal and bids from other contractors.

“The city should seek competitive proposals to get the most innovative sustainable services at the best price,” said Hermosa Beach Green Task Force member Geri Shapiro as she gave a presentation of the task force’s waste collection suggestions to the commission.

Phil Friedl of the Green Task Force said the city “should start with a 50 percent diversion rate goal with our new contractor.”

The diversion rate measures the amount of waste that avoids being thrown into landfills because it’s reused or recycled. Hermosa’s current residential waste diversion rate is about 24 percent, according to the Green Task Force.

Hermosa Beach resident Robert Fortunato, who , told commissioners that he diverted 97.5 percent of the demolition waste from the project. The city can do the same with residential trash, he said.

"Really take a look at waste containers and incentives and change the nature of the waste stream of the entire city,” Fortunato said.

As the city considers these new environmentally friendly goals, Consolidated Disposal Services representatives at the commission meeting said that the contractor could help the city pursue these green practices. 

Scott Ankeny, founder of goinggreentoday.com, is working with Consolidated to roll out a 90-day program targeted at encouraging environmentally friendly waste practices, he said.

Some residents spoke at the commission meeting and submitted letters to city officials praising Consolidated’s service in the community.

But Commissioner Kim MacMullan said that as the panel recommends significant changes to the city’s trash collection operation, it's beneficial to review what options are available with all possible contractors as "the game has changed,” she said.

She and her fellow commissioners on Wednesday also discussed having the city ask contractors to operate reduced-emissions vehicles, and have a structured management process for trash overflow.

The commission also discussed special waste collection conditions for elderly or disabled residents, on holidays or during special events, for the management of trash in the downtown commercial areas and a remediation process.

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