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Community Development Services, Environmental Management Department, advising the Board of the denial by the City of Placerville and the El Dorado Hills Community Services District of the County’s request to participate in the formation of a solid waste West Slope Joint Powers Authority, and recommending the Board direct the Environmental Management Department to:
1) Continue implementing the County’s Solid Waste Management Plan and its associated Action Plan strategies to the greatest extent feasible;
2) Suspend the Action Plan formation strategy at this time; and
3) Bring said formation strategy back to the Board for reconsideration at the next update of both Plans anticipated in 2022.
FUNDING: N/A
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Community Development Services, Environmental Management Department, advising the Board of the denial by the City of Placerville and the El Dorado Hills Community Services District of the County’s request to participate in the formation of a solid waste West Slope Joint Powers Authority, and recommending the Board direct the Environmental Management Department to:
1) Continue implementing the County’s Solid Waste Management Plan and its associated Action Plan strategies to the greatest extent feasible;
2) Suspend the Action Plan formation strategy at this time; and
3) Bring said formation strategy back to the Board for reconsideration at the next update of both Plans anticipated in 2022.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On January 31, 2012 (Item 11), the Board approved the County-wide Solid Waste Management Plan (Management Plan). The goal of the Management Plan is to achieve a 75 percent diversion of solid waste from landfilling by the year 2020, and to provide a focused, coordinated, and strategic approach to the County’s future integrated waste management system through the year 2040. The Management Plan contains 42 solid waste related strategies spread throughout three phases, near-term (2012-2016), intermediate-term (2017-2025), and long-term (2026-2040). The strategies were further classified as program, infrastructure, or support strategies. In order to focus the County’s near-term and intermediate-term efforts on the most cost effective strategies, as well as to satisfy regulatory requirements, the Board approved an Action Plan as part of the approved Management Plan.
The Action Plan identified 11 near-term and 5 intermediate-term strategies that were to be undertaken. One of the near-term, support strategies identified, was the formation of a solid waste West Slope Joint Powers Authority (West Slope JPA). The Action Plan states the following regarding its formation:
“To implement the strategies contained in the Plan, cooperation between jurisdictions is recommended to provide a more comprehensive, integrated waste management approach so that economies of scale can be realized and maximum diversion achieved. Currently, the two community service districts, two cities and the unincorporated areas have different programs, services, participation requirements, rate structures and franchise terms. While each jurisdiction will maintain control over respective franchise agreements, enhanced cooperation will benefit all County jurisdictions.”
The Action Plan briefly recounts the success of the solid waste Joint Powers Authority formed in the South Lake Tahoe basin between the County, City of South Lake Tahoe, and Douglas County, Nevada. The Action Plan recommends that the West Slope JPA include the County, City of Placerville, and the Cameron Park and El Dorado Hills Community Service Districts (CSDs). The Action Plan’s discussion regarding the formation of the West Slope JPA concludes with:
“Should the West Slope JPA effort be unsuccessful, the County will still move forward with implementing the Plan.”
On April 17, 2012 (Item 31), Environmental Management returned to the Board with the pros and cons of forming the West Slope JPA. The Board directed Environmental Management to move forward and appointed Supervisors Nutting and Briggs to serve on a subcommittee to assist with its formation.
On July 9, 2012, Environmental Management met with staff from both CSDs and the City of Placerville to formally discuss the formation of a West Slope JPA. The discussion included some history and overview, potential goals, an implementation strategy, and basic mechanics of how the West Slope JPA might function. Environmental Management subsequently held individual, informal discussions with the potential West Slope JPA participants and Board subcommittee members, who all indicated a lack of interest in taking the matter forward to their respective governing bodies.
On June 14, 2016 (Item 37), Environmental Management provided an update to the Board regarding the implementation status of the Management Plan. During the presentation, the Board was advised that the near-term strategy to form a West Slope JPA had not been completed due to a lack of interest by the potential members; however, the issue was never brought before each of the CSD Boards nor the Placerville City Council for formal action. The Board directed staff to take the subject of potentially forming a West Slope JPA to the El Dorado Solid Waste Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) for deliberation and direction. On September 12, 2016, the Advisory Committee directed staff, by a majority vote, to bring the potential formation of the West Slope JPA to the CSD Boards and Placerville City Council for a formal decision.
Environmental Management subsequently sent letters to the CSD Boards and Placerville City Council requesting the potential formation of a West Slope JPA be placed on each of their respective public meeting agendas. On May 31, 2017, Environmental Management presented the West Slope JPA concept to the El Dorado Hills CSD ad hoc Franchise (Solid Waste) Committee. The Committee was not supportive of recommending approval of the West Slope JPA formation to the El Dorado Hills CSD Board. On September 14, 2017, Environmental Management presented the West Slope JPA information to the El Dorado Hills CSD Board, who voted unanimously to deny the request to participate in the formation of the West Slope JPA.
On September 26, 2017, Environmental Management presented the West Slope JPA information to the Placerville City Council The Council voted unanimously to deny the request to participate in the formation of the West Slope JPA.
November 15, 2017, Environmental Management presented the West Slope JPA information to the Cameron Park CSD Board. The CSD Board voted unanimously (4-0, 1 abstention) to deny the request to participate in the formation of the West Slope JPA.
A few of the reasons for not supporting the West Slope JPA, provided by the Placerville City Council and the El Dorado Hills CSD Board, include:
1) There does not appear to be a specific need to establish a West Slope JPA at this time;
2) The Advisory Committee already serves much of the same purpose as the proposed West Slope JPA and appears to be working well;
3) El Dorado Disposal is doing a good job with various programs and services that assist the County with the implementation of the Management Plan; and
4) Staff resources that are currently overburdened would be needed to conduct and attend meetings, including members of the respective CSDs, City Council, and County Board members.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board can:
1) Elect to remove the West Slope JPA formation strategy from the Solid Waste Management Plan and its associated Action Plan strategies, thereby eliminating the need to return to the Board in 2022 for formation reconsideration; or
2) Direct Environmental Management to continue to explore the potential of a West Slope JPA with the City of Placerville and CDS’s, and to return to the Board sooner than 2022 for further discussion.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
City of Placerville, Cameron Park CSD, and El Dorado Hills CSD.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
N/A
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Greg Stanton, Director
Community Development Services, Environmental Management Department