||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||
During the Council meeting on Monday, December 2, 2024, County staff provided Council with an update regarding the interlocal agreement with the Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District (LSWDD). The current agreement has already received a one-year extension and is set to expire at the end of 2024, thus prompting an update.
The County’s proposed changes to the interlocal agreement seek to address safety and noise concerns, ensure continued compliance with County Code and State Law, and support the LSWDD’s interest in expanding its footprint. Management of day-to-day operations will remain with the LSWDD’S managing board, as it has since it was first established in 2012. The updated agreement seeks to balance the County Council’s responsibility as the district’s governing body with the LSWDD’s role as the managing board and site operator.
San Juan County supports the progressive recycling efforts of the LSWDD, the Take-It-Or-Leave It, and ongoing progress towards a sustainable economy. The County is not planning to take operational control over the dump but is seeking changes that will address safety, noise, and compliance issues.
Background
San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship is responsible for the County’s Solid Waste General District, which includes all islands except Lopez which has its own district that was established in 2012. The County Council serves as the governing body of the LSWDD, as provided by state law, while the managing board oversees operations. As the governing body, the Council has the responsibility to ensure continued compliance of operations with County Code and State Law, as well as to approve their budget and update practices to address safety and noise concerns. Together, the governing body and the managing board of the LSWDD work to provide safe and efficient disposal services for Lopez Island.
Changes to the Agreement
Proposed changes to the interlocal agreement seek to address safety and noise issues at the facility, ensure the facility’s continued compliance with County Code and State Law, and support the expansion of the Take-It-Or-Leave-It (TIOLI) to an adjacent parcel.
- Safety and Noise Concerns:
- The County has identified several operations activities that need attention – especially related to noise, public safety. The draft interlocal agreement requires LSWDD to provide an Operations and Safety Plan as part of the Agreement, as it is a standard requirement of all other operators in the county. The draft agreement also set limits to steel and glass crushing to address neighbor noise concerns. Finally, the draft agreement limits public access below the garbage bins while dumping to help improve safety and reduce liability risk.
- County Code and State Law Compliance:
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- The LSWDD has utilized the northern half of a County-owned parcel and the TIOLI building at no cost under its existing agreement with the County. To make the County’s treatment of the LSWDD site consistent with that of similar properties county-wide, the draft agreement reflects a payment plan starting at one-quarter of the market rate. These fees will start a fund for the district’s expansion efforts.
- TIOLI Expansion:
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- The managing board has expressed interest in expanding their footprint to provide even better services to the Lopez community. Expansion into the Public Works portion of the site has been identified as one option. The license to use fee (described above) will be set aside to help fund the purchase of the southern portion of the parcel from Public Works for the eventual facility expansion.
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Ongoing Negotiations
The County and the LSWDD have been discussing updates to the interlocal agreement for over two years, including numerous meetings regarding the Lopez Solid Waste Facility’s long term master plan, as well as contract-specific and senior leadership meetings.
Next Steps
The County Council/LSWDD governing board will be considering the draft interlocal agreement and budget during a December meeting, per requirements in County Code 8.12.270.
Questions?
- Watch the December 2, 2024 presentation to Council on the County’s website
- Read the County’s brief about the LSWDD and view presentation materials here
Contact: Kendra Smith, Environmental Stewardship Director. kendras@sanjuancountywa.gov; 360-728-8915
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Rebuttal to San Juan County Response
In 2018, the LSWDD Board initiated talks with Russ Harvey, then Public Works Director, and liaison Councilmember Rick Hughes, and other County officials to discuss LSWDD expansion plans next door at the Public Works site. Russ Harvey indicated that it would be about 5 years before Public Works would be moving their operations to a new site. Conversations were collaborative. LSWDD volunteered to pay for a design of an expansion plan.
Between 2018 and 2023, LSWDD began making improvements to the existing small site while waiting for Public Works to move their operations. During those years LSWDD invested in an improved glass container, built a berm to cut down noise from operations, hired additional staff to provide more on-site safety between cars and pedestrians, and expanded recruitment and training of volunteers. Recently LSWDD initiated a visit by Labor and Industries to discuss site safety and operations. It was also during this time that San Juan County Council removed solid waste from the Public Works Department and placed it under the auspices of the newly formed SJC Environmental Stewardship, with Kendra Smith as director.
Moving solid waste from Public Works to a new department meant a loss of valuable knowledge, continuity and competency. In 2023 the County finally hired Wilson Engineering to do an expansion plan. LSWDD provided constructive criticism of a boiler plate template issued by Wilson Engineering. The plan called the site “garbage disposal site” which is false. The site is a Drop Box facility and the difference between the two is significant. The plan also included paving the entire public works site and putting in a commercial grade catchment system or digging a well. LSWDD suggested that the County should simply start the process of expanding Fish Bay Water District to include this essential public facility. The County’s plan pointed out a potential fish bearing stream on site (also false) and wanted a costly enclosure of the recycle plaza. The Wilson plan was further evidence that the Environmental Stewardship Department did not have any one on staff who understood anything about operating a drop box/recycle facility.
The County’s December 5, 2024 Public Relations response is a thinly veiled attempt to take over the operations of the Dump and force Lopez citizens to pay for what is County responsibility. The County insists this is not the case and yet by dictating such things as parking restrictions, pedestrian access to the Take It or Leave It (TIOLI ), requiring LSWDD to provide set days for set functions thus forcing patrons to do their business on multiple days and multiple trips and by further limiting access TIOLI, the County is changing basic operations. As one LSWDD founding Board member Dan Post has pointed out, the new Interlocal Agreement (ILA) “stinks” and shows they don’t know “how the Dump operates.”
The County’s claim that there have been multiple meetings with LSWDD is not true. LSWDD has asked for a response from the County multiple times regarding the Dump’s expansion plan and the ILA, but the various County parties continuously met without LSWDD staff and/or Board. The County and the LSWDD Board met once on the expansion plan and never on the revised Interlocal Agreement (ILA). The County toured the Dump grounds without telling LSWDD they were coming ,nor asking LSWDD about operations.
You can listen to the last discussion of the Dump, done without LSWDD’s knowledge, below but be aware that it is a very demeaning and inaccurate portrayal of Lopezians and our operations.
A final question: is the Environmental Stewardship Department using solid waste monies to fund positions in its department unrelated to solid waste operations?
If you care about this issue, it is important to contact the County asking for an extension of the current ILA, and demand that the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) be one that is signed by LSWDD.
Sandy Bishop, Founding LSWDD Board member
janef@sanjuancountywa.gov
jessicah@sanjuancountywa.gov
cindyw@sanjuanco.com
christinem@sanjuanco.com
• Watch the December 2, 2024 presentation to Council on the County’s website
• Read the County’s brief about the LSWDD and view presentation materials here
The county needs to stop meddling. If you’d like to get a more balanced point of view read Rhea Miller’s recent letter to the editor: https://theorcasonian.com/letter-to-editor-county-attempts-to-take-over-lopez-dump/