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Home My WebLink About1997-01-14 - AGENDA REPORTS - ELSMERE SOLID WASTE (2)CityManager Item to be pre George A. Caravalho NEW BUSINESS DATE: January 14, 1997 SUBJECT: STATUS REPORT(S) ON LANDFILL/SOLID WASTE ISSUES, #4 AND #5 DEPARTMENT: City Manager Staff has made a commitment to the City Council and the public that we will present a status report on all of the items pertaining to Elsmere, landfill siting and other solid waste issues at each City Council meeting. This report will be our fourth verbal report to the Council, including information from our written Status Report #4 (memo of 12/23/96, attached). We will make our report verbally and will have the written Status Report #5 for the City Council and the public at the meeting, with updates in the following areas: - Contract Closeout: The status of the items submitted by the consultant on December 17, 1996. - Hiring additional personnel: status of contracts as of January 14, 1997. - Santa Clarita volunteers and supporters: Report on the January 8, 1997 meeting. - UCLA Conference: Possible joint conference approach update, and other information. - Siting Element status Receive and discuss up-to-date information and discuss any potential actions. S:%CCAGENDA1ELS#4-5.GAC Agenda Item A�� TM CITY OF SANTA CLARITA INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Smyth and Members of the City Council FROM: George A. Caravalho, City Manager DATE: January 14, 1997 SUBJECT: LANDFILL/SOLID WASTE ISSUES STATUS REPORT #5 I. Contract Close Out The City Attorney has reviewed the materials received from the consultant and prepared an opinion indicating that, with extremely few exceptions, they may be released upon waiver of the attorney-client privilege by the Council. Staff continues to review the material to determine the consultant's compliance with the City's request for specific documents, organization and ultimate release to the public. We anticipate the review will be complete by the week of January 20, 1997. II. Hiring Additional Assistance Contracts have been prepared for Mr. Paul Brotzman and Mr. Gil Smith. These contracts appear separately for the Council's consideration and action at the regular meeting of January 14, 1997. Both Paul and Gil have already begun contacting city and county people on our behalf. III. Santa Clarita Volunteers and Supporters City staff met with the volunteers on January 8. The meeting provided the group with the opportunity to meet with Mr. Smith and Mr. Brotzman, and to ask questions on their experience and expertise. Other issues discussed included communication and assistance between the consultant team, staff and the group. The next meeting of this group has been tentatively scheduled for Thursday, February 13, 1997. IV. UCLA Conference/Possible Joint Conference Approach I am pleased to report I have received pledges totaling $45,000. This increases to $65,000 with City's contribution. Two groups may still yet contribute, raising the total further. I will come to the Council in February with the final results of fund raising and a preliminary outline of our conference objectives, goals and approach. Mayor Smyth and Members of the City Council Landfill/Solid Waste Issues Status Report #5 Y January 14, 1997 - Page 2 SCAG has tentatively scheduled their conference to occur in March/April 1997, at the Industry Hills Country Club, for approximately 400 people. We will provide details as they develop. V. Siting Element We have received word from County staff that the draft Siting Element will not be prepared in the time -frame previously anticipated. While the document was is originally expected to be presented to the Board of Supervisors at the end on January, it has now been postponed until late February, and may possibly be moved back again into March or April. With the consultants nearly on board, and City staff identified for the continuation of this effort, there are several strategies being pursued. These strategies include identification. of cities which may,* not support the Siting Element for reasons of their own, education about the importance of the Siting Element at both the staff and policy level to individual cities, and follow-up with L. A. County Public Works staff and Supervisor Antonovich's office about our comments previously made on the draft. We have not yet received confirmation that the item has been scheduled by the Board of Supervisors at their January meeting as previously indicated by county staff. VI. Forest Service/EIS We have received from the Forest Service a copy of the Final EIR/EIS for the proposed Elsmere Canyon landfill. According to the Forest Service, as the project was terminated prior to the official printing and release of the EIR/EIS, this copy is a screen -check version of the document that would have been printed, and was provided for our review and retention. The Forest Service has also requested that we make the document available to the public, which we will do by placing it at the public counter. VII. Los Angeles County Elsmere Permit We maintain weekly contact with county staff relative to BFI's applications. On December 16, 1996, County staff sent a letter to BFI (copy sent to Council under separate memo) stating, among other things,. that it would be appropriate at this time to officially request withdrawal of Elsmere project applications so that the County Regional Planning Commission could take appropriate action. To date, BFI has not responded to that request. We have requested in writing to be informed when BFI does respond, and to be notified if/when any action by the Regional Planning Commission is agendized. VIII. Chiquita Canyon Expansion We have been informed that the City's appeal on this item has been rescheduled from the Board of Supervisors meeting of January 9 to the meeting of January 28. The City is in regular contact with the Val Verde community and has passed this information along. Mayor Smyth and Members of the City Council Landfill/Solid Waste Issues Status Report #5 January 14, 1997 - Page 3 r Last evening (January 13, 1997) representatives of Laidlaw, LATCH, Val Verde Civic Association, Citizens Against Chiquita Canyon Landfill met with Councilwoman Darcy, Lynn Hams and me. The purpose of the meeting, called by Dick Wirth, was to identify areas of agreement between the parties that could be presented to the Board of Supervisors to resolve the appeal. An offer and -counter-offer was made, with a deadline for final agreement this Friday (January 17, 1997). I X. Los Angeles County Solid Waste Management Committee/Integrated Waste Management Task Force We have received and reviewed the official transcript of the November 21 meeting of this committee. As previously reported by Marsha McLean, County staff gave a verbal presentation of the GBB report. Presentation of the item did not appear on the agenda for the meeting, and we were neither contacted nor asked to present any information to the Committee. Additionally, the transcript reveals that the tone and content of the verbal report were derogatory, and did not appear to have been intended to provide information, but rather to denigrate the report and the City's effort. This group's December meeting was rescheduled to January 16, but has since been again rescheduled to January 30, at 1:00 p.m., in Alhambra. We have requested an opportunity to present to the Committee and been informed by staff the January 30 agenda is full. X. SCAG Solid Waste Task Force This group's next meeting has been scheduled for January 28. The chairperson for this group, Tony Young, has expressed interest for the 1997. meetings to occur on a.quarterly basis rather than a monthly basis. S: ADMINEANDFILLNELSMERE15