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20AUG2008

What's the best way to recycle large pieces of plastic?

City recycling guru Barbara Lucks of our Public Works Solid Waste division answers another question about recycling in Springfield.

Jami asks: Is there someplace local to recycle big pieces of plastic? My neighbor has five big pieces of heavy plastic (about 6’ by 6’) that he’d like to recycle. Where can those be placed to get recycled? It would be similar to the type that milk jugs are made of, but thicker.

Jami,

I’d give New American Recycling a try. They have access to diverse plastics markets and, therefore, can accept a wide variety of materials. Their number is 862-9995. 

Also, if that fails, and it is something that is clean and doesn’t have sharp edges (“safe,” in other words), you might give the etc. Center a call at 523-2772. This is a place that accepts all kinds of “stuff” that teachers can use in the classroom for arts/crafts, etc. 

They can make use of some things you’d never believe they’d want! I always like to give them a try if the material is clean and safe. The Center may be closed for a couple of weeks until school starts again on Aug. 24, I believe. It is operated by the students at Bailey School.

A third option, again, depending on the exact material, could be the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They take building/construction items that can be either re-used by Habitat or re-sold in their ReStore (it’s great - like a giant garage sale!) at discount prices. Their number is 829-4001. Their mission is to foster quality, affordable housing and they accomplish that either by building or by offering home improvement items at discounted prices to make it easier for people of limited means to upgrade their homes. 

Hope that helps!

Barbara

posted by Mike Brothers, Public Information

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18AUG2008

City Beat - Aug. 18 Edition

This week's City Beat takes a look at the hiring of new City Manager Greg Burris and Internal Auditor April Lathrom, as well as the Aug. 11 Council meeting and flight changes at the Springfield-Branson National Airport.

posted by Mike Brothers, Public Information

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15AUG2008

City Weekly Events for Aug. 18-22

The week of Aug. 18 includes Council lunch, a Library Board of Trustees meeting at its new Strafford Branch, and a joint meeting of City Council and the City Utilities Board -- all on Tuesday. Other events include the Landmarks Board on Wednesday, and the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Airport Board on Thursday.

posted by Mike Brothers, Public Information

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15AUG2008

Campbell Avenue is back in business

We know it has caused some headaches for those who drive and work downtown, but the closure of Campell Avenue is over and the street is now fully re-opened as of today. The good news is not only that Campbell is open to through traffic, but that everything that needed to be done during the closure is complete and the street will not have to be closed for any further work in the future. The stage is set for the College Station complex and its 14-screen movie theater to open this fall.

This season's torrential rains caused much of the delays on he project. But the closure allowed City Utilities crews to replace a sanitary sewer line 12 feet below the street surface, as well as several other utility lines. The street was also closed so masonry work could be completed on the east side of the College Station building. A traffic calming measure was added, too — a “horizontal shift,” or slight bend in the road, between Olive and College streets will help slow speeds on the one-way street and make it more pedestrian-friendly.

Drivers should note that the intersections at McDaniel and Olive streets are currently operating on a temporary three-way basis until new signal lights can be installed. Two lights at the Olive intersection will be replaced, while an entirely new signal will be installed at the Campbell and McDaniel intersection. Striping and the installation of new street and pedestrian lights are expected to be completed soon.

posted by Mike Brothers, Public Information

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13AUG2008

Your Questions: Where Do the Recyclables Go?

City recycling guru Barbara Lucks of our Public Works Solid Waste division continues to get some great questions from citizens about the ins and outs of recycling in Springfield. We’re going to continue posting the answers here on CityConnect so everyone can make use of the information, and we’ll continue categorizing them under both the Recycling FAQ’s and Your Questions.

Diane asks: Are there buyers for all the material we recycle? Do they purchase these recycled products or do we give them to them? Are there times or amounts of the recycled material that are ever just taken to a local dump?

Diane,

We're very fortunate that Springfield is evolving into a regional hub for recycling processors and even an end-user. Currently, there are local processors or markets for all of the materials we accept at the City's Recycling Centers. There is also capacity available for much more volume of materials than we are currently recycling. We need more people to recycle! Within Springfield, we have businesses that have the capacity to handle it.

Regarding the City's Recycling Centers, we operate under several different arrangements with our contractors.

Our metals (tin, steel, aluminum) go to Commercial Metals Company here in Springfield and, after processing, join the high-volume, high-quality materials they recycle internationally. We receive market value for our metals. Commercial Metals furnishes collection bins and transportation at no cost to us.

Our mixed paper goes to the end-user Nestle Purina PetCare Company here in Springfield and is recycled/manufactured into animal bedding and litter for shipment and sale of their products all over the world. In the process, we have the benefit of Nestle Purina building their $3 million, 30,000 square foot manufacturing facility here because of our strong recycling program and the high-quality mixed paper they receive from us. Currently 32 people are employed at their factory. We used our mixed paper as an economic development tool with Nestle. We make our mixed paper available to them in return for the benefit of the manufacturing facility, the jobs, and money spent for local goods and services. Nestle furnishes the collection bins and transportation at no cost to us. 

Our cardboard goes to Midwest Fibre, a company that has been in the recycling business for decades here in Springfield. It is processed/baled and marketed on the open market. When markets are high, we receive some payment for the materials; when they are low, we pay a fee for collection, marketing and processing the materials.

Our plastics go to New American Recycling, a Springfield processor/broker. It is baled and marketed for products such as Mohawk Carpet. We transport the materials to the processor. There is no charge to us for processing or marketing costs. The contractor has voluntarily shared some of his revenues with us from the sale of our materials when markets were high.

Our glass is being stockpiled by the City to be crushed for use in construction-type projects here in Springfield and/or Greene County. We own the collection containers and either haul it ourselves or contract hauling to the storage site.

The only time our recyclables are landfilled is if there is contamination to the load. This could be because someone put trash in the bin or if there were sufficient quantities of another material (such as plastic in the aluminum bin) to render it worthless to the processor. This doesn't happen very often. We work very hard to have good information circulated to the general public concerning our recycling program as well as signage and "helpers" available to give information and assistance at our staffed recycling centers.

Barbara

posted by Mike Brothers, Public Information

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12AUG2008

Burris Is the New City Manager

Greg Burris was announced as the 12th City Manager of Springfield at a news conference Tuesday. (Watch a video of the full conference.) With seven of the nine City Council members behind him, Burris told several dozen media, citizens and City employees that he is ready to hit the ground running when begins his new job on Sept. 15.

photo: Greg Burris speaks at a podium with city council members looking on 

Mayor Tom Carlson introduced Burris by saying that the Council was looking for four qualities in the next City Manager: leadership, fiscal responsibility, deep community involvement and development experience. Carlson cited Burris's role in helping the community respond to the Janurary 2007 ice storm as an example of leadership. He said Burris has had to make tough calls and cuts without sacrificing services at MSU. He said Burris has "no peer' when it comes to community involvement, and cited his oversight of the new JQH Arena as an example of solid development experience.

Carlson revealed that the Council voted 8-1 to hire Burris, with Cindy Rushefsky voting against. Rushefsky answered the question as to why she didn't initially vote for Burris by saying she didn't feel his University experience was close enough to that of running a City. However, she stressed that she is fully behind the new manager.

"Though the vote for Candidate Burris wasn't unanimous, the support for City Manager Burris is unanimous," she said.

Councilwoman Mary Collette said she liked Burris because he "knows the lay of the land" while Councilman Denny Whayne said he liked that fact that Burris was "the outsider" because he wasn't currently in the municipal government field.

Missouri State University President Michael Nietzel, Burris's current boss, cited three traits that Burris will bring to the City's table: extraordinary smarts, incredible preparation and a fun attitude. He said MSU would "mourn" Burris's absence, but congratulated him on the move.

Burris will earn a base salary of $195,000 a year, which is in the mid range of the scale recommended by the compensation subcommittee of the City Manager Search Committee, plus benefits. For more information, see the full news release.

posted by Mike Brothers, Public Information

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