Recycling Update

Here’s a quick update for those of you interested in curbside recycling in Kannapolis.  Bid requests have gone out for curbside and solid waste collection. The City will take proposals until October 18, and then City Council will weigh the different options.

The City’s current solid waste contract expires June 30, so the new contract will go into effect July 1, 2011.

For recycling, the bid package is looking at collection occurring two times per month and residents using a 96-gallon roll-out cart for the materials. Residents wouldn’t need to sort their recyclables, but instead would be able to deposit most plastics, glass, cardboard and mixed paper into the container for collection.

Stay tuned for more updates. If you have questions in the interim feel free to contact Karen Whichard or Renee Goodnight.

Community Garden Project

Sunday evening, March 7, was a very exciting time for the City’s Environmental Stewardship Commission.  Pastor James Matchette of First Wesleyan Church, located at 301 Bethpage Road, announced the joint effort of his congregation and the ESC to establish a community garden in the City of Kannapolis.

Members from First Wesleyan canvassed the church’s neighborhood on Saturday, March 13, to invite area residents to rent a plot for the growing season at a minimal charge.

From left to right, ESC Members Jeremy Ford and Lisa Canada present a shovel and hose to First Wesleyan Pastor James Matchette to kick off their community garden project. The garden will be located on church property behind the church.

The “groundbreaking” for the garden will be on April 24, as part of the Commission’s Earth Day observances. Commission Member Brad Hinckley, who is also an incubator farmer at the Elma C. Lomax Farm Park, will till the soil for the plants. In the winter, Brad began growing plants from seed to donate for the community garden.

ESC Member and incubator farmer Brad Hinckley explains plans for the garden to the members of First Wesleyan Church.

Commission member Lisa Canada has plans for classes featuring different kinds of food preparation and preservation for those participating in the garden.

The garden provides an opportunity to build relationships within the congregation and with the church’s neighbors as it provides healthier food that is locally grown. Produce from the garden will also be donated to local food pantries throughout the year.

One Step Closer to Curbside Recycling

Last night, City Council authorized staff to proceed with issuing requests for proposals (RFPs) for curbside recycling services and bins. Staff has researched and presented options to Council over the last two years for developing a curbside recycling program, with the help of the Environmental Stewardship Commission and advice from Scott Muow, the state’s recycling program director. Last night’s decision moves the City one step closer to establishing a program.

Curbside recycling will help Kannapolis comply with the state law that bans aluminum cans, and as of October 2009, plastic bottles from landfills. Currently, residents can take recyclables to the local drop-off sites provided by Rowan and Cabarrus Counties (at 614 W. 8th St. and behind the Cabarrus Health Alliance building at 1307 S. Cannon Blvd).

To maximize participation and effectiveness, staff recommendations are:

• Single-stream curbside program – so that you don’t have to separate your recyclables
• 96-gallon roll-out cart – larger bins to prevent overflow and accommodate household needs
• Weekly or biweekly collection – depends on costs
• User fee, estimated $5/month – instead of incorporating into property taxes (actual amount to be determined after bids are received)

Curbside service will be provided to residents who live in dwellings that currently receive City garbage service. Initially, the service will not be offered to businesses, apartments, and other properties that pay for commercial garbage service. The recommendation of a user fee was based on the need for a steady revenue stream not dependent on property values, as well as the idea of not impacting businesses and other entities that would not receive the service (vs. a property tax, which would impact all properties). To be sustainable and stable, the user fee would be charged to all households receiving garbage service, regardless of actual participation in recycling.

Public education will be a major part of ensuring a successful program, both prior to the start of service as well as ongoing. The user fee will help ensure adequate promotion and education of the program. Residents will hear more about the importance of recycling, what is recyclable, as well as the logistics of the curbside service.

For more information, you can view the recent presentation from the Council retreat and the updated timeline (see p. 56-59) presented at last night’s Council meeting. Staff will plan to bring the bids for recycling back to City Council in April for their final decision to proceed with the program. If you have opinions on this topic, feel free to contact City Council.