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Politics & Government

Full Plate for Environmental Quality Committee

Last night's monthly meeting of the Environmental Quality Committee reflected the city's growing commitment to sustainable living.

Last night's meeting of the Environmental Quality Committee reflected many aspects of El Cerrito's environmental agenda with an update on the Recycling Center renovation plan, the upcoming Oct. 10 Climate Action Event and several other meetings and initiatives.

The 15-member committee is an official citizens body that meets at City Hall and advises the city.

The last of the planned community meetings on the future of the Recycling Center took place right before last night's committee meeting, which did not attract a public audience.

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Melanie Mintz, the city's Environmental Services Division manager, presented the Recycling Center update to the commission along with suggestions put forward by the public in the preceding meeting. She stressed that the new center will be emblematic of El Cerrito's environmental goals.

She relayed responses from the public, including the desire to recycle additional materials, concern over the interim operations of the center during reconstruction, and concern over the behavior of some patrons of the Book Exchange program.

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Mintz said the design and planning process for the rebuild is innovative, creative and collaborative. "It's a really collaborative process where the architect and the contractor sits down with us," she said. "There is a lot of negotiating going on."

Environmental analyst Garth Schultz, who oversees the Recycling Center and serves as staff liason to the committee, added, "They're at the table with us, which keeps the cost-benefit ratio down for us, and having been in El Cerrito for four years and seeing the last plan, well, flop, it's really exciting to see the process here."

The October 10 event, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will include a compost giveaway along with a presentation showing residents how the food scraps in their green bins turn into usable compost. 

Also will be the UnWaste Event October 9-10. The name has been changed from E-Waste Event because it now includes more than just electronics and batteries.

Measure R, the half-cent sales tax boost for El Cerrito on the November ballot, was briefly discussed, and the general consensus seemed to be in favor of it. If the measure does not pass, it will mean $500,000 in cuts to city services.

On another item, the proposed statewide plastic bag ban, which died in the state senate, will be discussed at the committee's Policy and Programs Subcommittee on September 28, 7 p.m., in the Hillside Room in City Hall.

The proposed Animal Ordinance, which would make it much easier to keep chickens and other barnyard animals in the city, has turned out to be a hotly debated topic, noted committee member Howdy Goudey. He recalled that a community meeting on the ordinance was dramatic and observed that it was a bad time to bring up this topic, with Measure R on everybody's minds and public concern about how the city makes use of taxpayer dollars.

"What is necessary is to somehow foster very responsible animal ownership, but that goes for cats and dogs as well," he concluded, "The city permitting of animals needs to be less tied to money, and more tied to education."

Ronald Egherman, committee chair, elicited laughter when he added, "I think the city is developing a 12-cluck program."

 The Environmental Quality Committee is made up of volunteer community members who want to take part in the decision-making process that directs the future of El Cerrito's environment. The next meeting will be October 12, 2010, at 7 p.m. in the council chambers.

An overview of the Climate Action Plan being developed by the city will be presented at the next City Council meeting, September 20, 7 p.m.

 

A listing of upcoming special recycling events, community meetings and clean-up parties can be found on the El Cerrito Environmental Calendar.

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