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            When the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly meets Thursday, the issue of solid waste will again be on the agenda. The assembly faces three items dealing with a draft solid waste master plan prepared for the borough by Bell and Associates. KMXT’s Casey Kelly has more.

            When the borough received Bell and Associates’ draft plan last month, it came with a lot of criticism from members of the public and even some members of the assembly. That continued at the assembly’s work session last week. During public comments Carol Tracy of Alaska Waste brought up a letter dated June 2006 from Alaska Waste CEO Bob Cox to the borough manager and members of the assembly at that time.

            (Tracy 1                                  :47s                 “…we’ll be able to move forward.”)

            Later this week the assembly is scheduled to acknowledge receipt of the Solid Waste Advisory Board’s recommendations from the Solid Waste Management Plan. It’s also slated to accept the plan itself, and provide direction about what it would like to see from potential providers of garbage collection. It’s that third item that had assembly members talking at their work session. Assemblyman Tom Abell said he’s concerned that a long-term contract for garbage collection is not in the best interests of the community.

            (Abell 1                                  :18s                 “…what happens in the next years.”)

            Abell added that he wasn’t a big fan of Bell and Associates’ report.

            (Abell 2                                  :43s                 “…keep their jobs out there.”)

            Assemblywoman Chris Lynch, who sits on the SWAB, responded to Abell’s criticisms, first by saying that a long-term contract wouldn’t necessarily lock the borough into one service or another.

            (Lynch 1                                  :19s                 “…we call those things out.”)

            Lynch also defended soliciting bids for collection service.

            (Lynch 2                                  :28s                 “…it’s putting the word out.”)

            Deciding how to best provide collection service is the first step for the borough assembly in implementing the solid waste management plan. Borough Manager Rick Gifford says borough staff is working on a rubric that will guide the assembly and staff in making solid waste decisions. The rubric will be based on recommendations from Bell and Associates’ report and input from the SWAB.

            I’m Casey Kelly.

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