Municipal solid waste

I am the environmental quality director.

OK, so I'm over solid waste and sustainability for the county.

Amazing.

And how long have you been with them?

There is a lot more to county government than you might know if you don't really pay attention.

You know, county police, solid waste department, animal control, the county clerk, property valuation administrator, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, all these different departments.

But...

If you own a home, you pay taxes to the county.

I've been a community volunteer for years now.

I like to volunteer.

If I'm being paid by the county government and there are volunteer opportunities within the county government, and I volunteered for Solid Waste in the past.

I currently volunteer at the emergency shelter in northern Kentucky over in Kenton County, and I'm going to sit on their board.

N-Next slide.

The objectives within, uh, the two main goal areas under Climate and Environment, we have protect the health of Puget Sound, adapt, uh, to sea level rise and flooding, reduce urban heat islands, reduce air pollution and smoke, and properly contain, collect, and reuse solid waste.

Under the Transportation and Mobility, make Tacoma trans-- uh, transportation system easily accessible for all users, eliminate traffic deaths and injuries, and help community members easily reach daily needs and activities.

And again, our presentation will be aligned with those two goals and objectives.

As you heard from, uh, Director Flower, um, earlier, um, we include in our budget increases on utility rates.

Um, give you a little more, uh, detail on the three utilities that we, uh, manage.

Under solid waste, we're planning to increase, uh, this is for residential customers, by the way, um, solid waste about five percent, which that equates to three dollars and twenty-four cents in two thousand and twenty-seven, and three dollars and forty-two cents in two thousand and twenty-eight.

On wastewater, a proposed increase of six point five percent on both two thousand and twenty-seven and two thousand and twenty-eight, which that, uh, uh, equates to four dollars and twenty-five cents in two thousand and twenty-seven, and an increase of four dollars and seventy-five cents in two thousand and twenty-eight.

The waste has to go somewhere.

We've had more inquiries for MSW recycling projects, organics from MSW, organics and food waste individual, individually or, or part of a broader waste stream and, and construction and demolition waste.

I mean, all of those waste streams, we're seeing a growing level of inquiry for infrastructure, whether it be a single machine, whether it be a full-scale plant, uh, because there's going to be less landfill space and the waste has to go somewhere.

Um, so all of that will be a factor, and then I think people will continue to think really hard about where and how waste is transported because it is only getting more expensive.

The Environment and Polar Works Department is a newly formed department, and we're combining polar works and the three utilities that we're going to be managing together.

Those include solid waste, wastewater, and stormwater utilities.

So rates are going up.

Tell us how much and when.

Yes.

As part of the proposed budget that we're going to be presenting to the council, we are proposing to increase the current rates both in 2027 and 2028.

Solid waste by 5%, wastewater by 6.5%, and stormwater by 7.5% on each of the years.

You know, times are tough for a lot of people.

Yes, yes.

I started with Solid Waste as a laborer in 2012 and was able to do that while I was in school and get my degree.

And it's just the city has provided me excellent opportunities, and it's been a pleasure working with the city and meeting a lot of employees as well as the community, getting more relationships being built with those community members and these stakeholders.

It's been a pleasure.

Environmental Services briefed the committee on phase two of the Urban Forestry Priority Action Plan, focusing on right-of-way tree maintenance in, in accordance with resolution number 41682.

On September 9th, Environmental Services provided an update on Solid Waste Management's efforts to reduce vehicle emission in support of city, of the city's, uh, climate action plan.

Solid Waste has, uh, exceeded its goal of reducing fleet emissions by 25%.

Uh, the update also highlighted the use of renewable natural gas and continued efforts to transition our fleet to cleaner vehicles.