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Report: Phase II: Bear-Resistant Solid Waste Management Plan (Update #1)
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SUBMITTED BY: Bart Hinkle, Chief of Police
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Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
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Receive and file
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SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The mission of the Valdez Bear Working Group is to develop a Bear Management Plan that strives to create and maintain a sustainable relationship with humans and bears. Reducing, or eliminating, the access that bears have to non-natural food sources (human-generated garbage) is a goal. Implementing and enforcing a bear-resistant solid waste management plan throughout Valdez is a top priority.
In a 4.16.19 work session the Valdez Bear Working Group presented Council with alternative solid waste management plans. Discussions at that work session resulted in agreement to move forward with a two phased approach of COV approved containers for curbside collection and the establishment of public use dumpster pods in select locations with the intention of reducing the overall number of residential dumpsters in service.
The COV-approved container program was funded during the 2020 Budget process and began in earnest in February of 2020 with the adoption of changes made to VMC 8.08 (Garbage Collection and Disposal) via Ordinance No. 20-01. In March, 2020, representatives from multiple COV departments assembled a team to conduct public information/outreach concerning the containers - which were termed Wildlife Resistant Containers.
The commitment to public education and outreach assisted the successful implementation of the Wildlife Resistant Container program. To date, there have been 923 WRC's issued (887 rented, 36 purchased). There are currently approximately 335 containers available to rent, and 64 available for purchase, but the WRC Program (Phase I) is essentially an implemented program at this point.
Phase II of the solid waste management plan consists of public use...
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