Waste Authority’s new leadership takes reins

It begins.

After a contentious two-year review, the board of the agency responsible for trash, recycling and monitoring a closed landfill has a new and expanded roster.

The first meeting of the new  Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority Board is Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. in the Flynn Center.

In October, members of the county Board of Supervisors and the Crescent City Council voted to make themselves the interim authority board to evaluate the operations of the Solid Waste Authority.

The interim board is composed of the entire City Council and Board of Supervisors.

The Solid Waste Authority is responsible for all garbage and recycling in the county, and manages contracts with Recology Del Norte and Hambro Group for collection and disposal. The authority also owns the transfer station and manages a closed landfill that is environmentally sensitive.

A light agenda for the first meeting will include setting of future meeting dates, hearing an overview from the authority director and setting agenda priorities for future board meetings.

County supervisors Martha McClure and Leslie McNamer sat on the previous Solid Waste Board, as well as City Councilwomen Kathryn Murray and Kelly Schellong. Sarah Sampels was the public member of the previous board.

Two years ago, county supervisors Gerry Hemmingsen and Mike Sullivan led the charge in creating an ad hoc committee to evaluate possible  dissolution or restructuring of the authority.  Instead, the committee recommended lesser changes. Supervisors later voted to create a second ad hoc committee with essentially the same charge, but then accepted City Manager Gene Palazzo’s idea of an interim Solid Waste Board instead made up of city and county leaders instead.

When the city and county voted to create the new board, Kevin Hendrick, executive director of the authority, praised the idea.

“There’s a lot of information that’s bouncing around that’s not completely accurate,” Hendrick  told city and county at an October meeting. “I want you to have the best information so you can make the best choices. I think it’s a good choice for you all to be at the table.”

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