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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-04-08 - AGENDA REPORTS - LACO LANDFILL ISSUES (2)NEW BUSINESS DATE: SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT: AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval Item to be presented by: George A. Caravalho April 8, 1997 STATUS REPORT #9 ON LA COUNTY LANDFILL ISSUES AND THE PROPOSED ELSMERE CANYON LANDFILL IN THE SCV City Manager To keep the City Council and the general public informed on these issues, the City Manager presents a status report once a month. 1. UCLA Policy Summit Preparation for the April 23/24 Policy Summit continues. A Letter of Agreement with UCLA was executed on March 7, 1997, and a contract between the City and the County was executed last week. On March 18, the Board of Supervisors authorized County Public Works to spend $20,000 to sponsor the event. "Save the Date Cards" were mailed out by UCLA staff to potential participants on March 17, and formal invitations followed a week later. Invited participants from Santa Clarita will include Mayor Smyth, Council member Klajic, Marsha McLean ' and Lynn Plambeck. On March 31, staff met with Dr. Grigsby of UCLA and Dr. Spiesberger, the Summit facilitator, to go over the agenda, program, questions, and desired output of the Summit. We are pleased that the County Sanitation Districts have also opted to become a Summit co- sponsor, and have agreed to contribute $5,000 toward the event, bringing expected funding to $70,000. The budget for the event remains at $65,000. 11. Committee Actions SCAG Solid Waste Task Force: The Task Force met on February 27, 1997, to revise the Draft SCAG Solid Waste Task Force Report. Santa Clarita staff attended and participated in the process. Production of the Report has since been delayed due to concern by County staff that much of the data used in the report's tables has become stale and needs to be updated. The release date of the report is unknown at this time. The group also briefly discussed the progress of a conference on solid waste management sponsored by SCAG on June 13, 1997. . III Agenda Ite m: APPIVED Los Angles County Solid Waste Committee/Task Force : The Task Force met on March 20, 1997. No action was taken regarding the Countywide Siting Element, but the group received a presentation on waste -to -energy technology now being used in Houston, Texas, and proposed in other locations. The technology will be available for widespread commercial application within ten years, and Task Force members appeared interested and receptive to the information. The final Draft Siting Element is still under preparation, and will likely not go to the Board of Supervisors for direction until mid-April. We anticipate, therefore, that the document will begin the mandatory 90 -day review by cities in early May and continue through July. League of California Cities/Los Angeles Division: On March 6, Councilmember Dennis Washburn of the City of Calabasas and Councilmember Heidt provided the group (approximately 35-40 cities were represented) a 20 minute special report on the importance of the Siting Element and urged all cities to become involved in the upcoming approval process. 111. Consultant Progress Staff met with the consultant team on March 12 to discuss team activity, follow-up on outstanding tasks, and to provide additional direction. Gil Smith reported his activities, which included contact with League of California Cities staff, and attendance at several meeting with County staff. Information provided by Gil indicates that the County remains comfortable in its decision to identify both Elsmere and Towsley Canyons in the Siting Element. Paul Brotzman reported numerous meetings and contacts with city representatives from throughout the County. Some report concerns with the Siting Element as written (including Los Angeles and several San Gabriel Valley cities) and have expressed interest in working as a group to provide additional direction to County staff on the document's content. IV. Permit/Facilities Monitoring Elsmere Permit (CUP): BFI has not withdrawn the CUP application to date and has not responded to the County's written request that it do so. No change in status since last report. Chiquita Canyon Expansion (CUP): This CUP was approved by the County Regional Planning Commission on February 25, 1997, after project proponents and opponents reached an agreement on the landfill expansion acceptable to nearly all the involved parties. RECOMMENDATION Receive and discuss update information, provide guidance, and consider any potential new direction to staff.