Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 03011994 - FC.1 �' FG TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SE..L.. ���� °A Contra Finance Committee ` CostaFROM: County DATE; March 1, 1994 *I � count SUBJECT: STATUS REPORT ON GENERAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT'S RECYCLING CENTER and ROADSIDE AND PROPERTY CLEANUP PROGRAMS SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: 1. Request Contra Costa Television to publicize the job training and experience received by General Assistance clients through work on General Service Department and other County programs; and the availability of these trained people for permanent jobs in grounds maintenance and other areas. 2. Direct Social Services Department to report back to the Finance Committee on the placement of General Assistance clients in permanent jobs. FISCAL IMPACT: No change in current funding is being requested at this time. The programs described below are funded with Keller Landfill mitigation and surcharge revenues. BACKGROUND: The Finance Committee met on February 14 to listen to an update on the Recycling Center and roadside/property clean-up from Deputy Director Kathy Brown and Grounds Maintenance Manager Jim Baugh of the General Services Department. The Committee discussed the job training General Assistance clients receive in these programs and the need for follow-up placement in permanent jobs. Grounds maintenance for senior citizens and agricultural jobs were mentioned as job possibilities. The Committee expressed an interest in Contra Costa Television publicizing the availability of these trained individuals for permanent jobs. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE S : Tom Torlaksop Gayle Bishoip- ACTION OF BOARD ON y. 19� APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS y I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE !�UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. IILATTESTED �f Q Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR.CLERK OF THE BOARD OF CC: General Services SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR County Administrator BY DEPUTY Page 2 Also, it was noted that General Services currently has a surplus of recycled paint generated by the Recycling Center. The paint is made available to cities and other non- profit entities performing public service projects, such as graffiti abatement. The Committee felt these distribution efforts should be expanded. The department's report follows: The County Recycle Center has become a model for other communities. Alameda County plans to develop one. Contra Costa County recycles approximately 7.4 million pounds of paper and cardboard annually, plus miscellaneous aluminum, plastics, metals, and glass. The diversion of paper, cardboard and other recyclables from County garbage containers reduces the amount of materials going into the landfill. County personnel employed as Resource/Recycling Attendants oversee the work of GA participants who sort papers, bale paper and cardboard, and assist in collection of the materials at some work sites. The Recycle Center provides work experience and mandatory community service work for approximately 700 GA participants each month. Some of the GA work crews bring the recycled material from County buildings to the Resource Center for GA workers assigned there to sort. Jack Humphrey, Resource Center Manager, oversees the work of the staff at the Center and works closely with Jim. Jack arranges for the selling of paper to cover some of the Resource Center costs. So far this fiscal year, we have received over $20,000 in revenue from the sale of paper. The Recycle Center also is the repository for the County's hazardous waste materials program of community collection of recycled paint. Paint is collected at community drop off centers, sent for reformulation, and returned to the Recycle Center to be made available for community members to use without charge. Keller Landfill monies were used to purchase trucks, a forklift, baler, chipper, and van, as well as to develop the site where the Recycle Center is located. The $119,757 of equipment purchases permitted County recycling efforts to expand so as to include litter control and property cleanup by field crews in the unincorporated areas of the County, primarily in East County. County crew leaders, using crews of General Assistance welfare recipients, provided approximately 40,000 labor hours/year of road side litter collection. Annually over 2,000,000 pounds of debris are removed from County roadside areas as a result of this labor. The work crews do roadside litter pickup in various posts of the County, with the predominant time spent in areas located in East County. In addition, County GA workfare crews also performed property cleanup at selected sites including the homeless centers, elderly senior citizens residences, community nuisance areas such as "drug shacks" to remove debris, and for community cleanup days, with one of the largest community cleanup projects being in Bay Point. The work crews not only provided cleanup of County areas in need, but did so at no additional costs because GA participants were used, who in turn received work experience and provided service to their own County. A tree planting program began in November, and crews are planting trees and shrubs around public facilities where there is water available. Jim Baugh, Grounds Maintenance Manager, is directing the work of the roadside litter and field crews and the tree planting. Jim is also responsible for the crews which will clean and maintain trials under an agreement with East Bay Regional Parks. This program will begin in March, 1994. The tree chipper is being used to chip brush cuttings and limbs from trees to avoid the transportation of such materials to the landfill. Green wastes are brought to the Recycle Center and chipped by workfare crews. The material then goes into organized mulch to be used around landscape areas for moisture retention and weed control. Materials which cannot be recycled or chipped have to be taken to a landfill. Dump fees for this roadside debris average about $310.00 per day. In addition, approximately 10,000 tires dumped along County roadsides every year are collected; the cost to pay for their disposal averages $10,500 annually. (Purchasing has been requested to try to find a Page 3 vendor or user of the used tires as an alternative for paying for disposal). Without the Keller Landfill fees, General Services would not be able to provide the litter and other cleanup services or the Recycling Center. These services complement the landfill resulting in reduced amounts of trash delivered to the landfill - clearly an objective of the mitigation fees. In addition, General Assistance participants have gained work experience and provided numerous hours of service to the community.