Video courtesy North Street Neighborhood Association.
Water Not Waste recently paid a one thousand dollar assessment levied by the city for bringing forth an ordinance change via Citizen Petition pertaining to landfills and water supply protection districts in the city. Its ordinance recommendation removes, “exceptions for sanitary landfills in Water Supply Protection Districts.” At-Large City Councilor Jesse Adams and Ward Three City Councilor Angela Plassmann have recommended formally an ordinance change that would eliminate the Petition for Zoning Change fee.
That proposal was discussed and voted on during the Feb. 23 Northampton Economic Development, Housing and Land Use Committee meeting (video above) and is on the agenda for both the Planning Board and the Ordinance Committee.
At about the 51:40 point of the video begins the discussion on the Petition for Zoning Change and the so-called City Council/Landfill gag order. This is followed by discussion and a vote on the aforementioned fee. The EDHLU Committee forwarded the Citizen Petition for a Zoning Change to the Council with no recommendation and voted to recommend elimination of the fee.
Landfill Resolution
In a development that appears related Northampton City Councilor At-Large and City Council President David J. Narkewicz and his colleague from the Fourth Ward Councilor Pamela Schwartz drafted a Resolution for the City Council on the direction of Solid Waste Management Policy in Northampton. It is on the Council’s agenda for March 4, 2010.
WHEREAS, January 27, 2010 the Northampton Board of Public Works adopted a resolution outlining its final recommendations on the proposed landfill expansion concluding that “without a clear indication of City support, we have decided not to pursue further investment in the landfill expansion at this time;” and
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works resolution also acknowledged that with or without expansion, the City’s existing Glendale Road landfill facility will reach capacity and close near the end of 2011; and
WHEREAS, the impending closure of Northampton’s landfill presents a critical opportunity to evaluate and implement alternative systems for managing our City’s solid waste without a municipal landfill; and
WHEREAS, it is a better investment of time, energy, and resources to move beyond the divisive landfill expansion debate and fully engage Northampton residents, staff, and elected officials in a community conversation about how we will dispose of our trash going forward and what steps we are all willing to take to reduce it; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has already begun working on these issues through the establishment of a Solid Waste Action Committee charged with researching alternatives and planning and implementing waste reduction initiatives; and
WHEREAS, the lack of an active or viable zoning permit process for landfill expansion both allows and compels the City Council to reassert its role as elected representatives and offer leadership on Northampton’s solid waste management policy;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,
The City Council advises the Board of Public Works to suspend further action on landfill expansion in order to begin planning for both the scheduled closure of the existing Glendale Road facility and for how Northampton will manage its solid waste when our landfill closes.
Active public participation by the residents of Northampton will be critical to help our city evaluate and determine the best options for how, where, and what cost we will dispose of our trash. Public Forums to facilitate this community input will also examine the benefits and costs of adopting expanded recycling, municipal composting, and other citywide waste reduction strategies.
The City Council will work with the Board of Public Works and its Solid Waste Action Committee to help support and lead this public planning process as our community moves forward to decide how we mange our trash now and in the future.
Specifically, how does the City Council deliberate effectively with the BPW and SWAC under this Resolution? Does this Resolution suspend the gag order strategically only for it to be reinstated later? Since the BPW has announced it will not pursue a special permit to expand the landfill does the gag order still hold? If not, is the Resolution’s advice to the BPW necessary?
One thing the council could consider is the formation of a Solid Waste Management subcommittee with a singular mission to address the city’s solid waste needs. That process could begin with an ad hoc group whose charge would be the formation of a guiding coalition which would ultimately operate as a permanent City Council subcommittee. In this way a fresh political hierarchy can emerge under the purview of the Council.
