Sabha, Tamer
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Christine Lenches-Hinkel <;
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 12:10 PM
Stevenson, Garrett; Sabha, Tamer
Hampton, Tyron; Williams, Felicia; Jones, Justin; Lyon, Jason; Olmos, Tony MSC Meeting Agenda Item #6 and Items Not on Agenda
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Good Day,
Regarding Agenda Item #6, will the Committee be hearing from staff why such rates are to be increased before the hearing? If it is the added hauling hours, vehicle miles travelled, tipping fees for processing of the organics, then perhaps the City might look into alternative more sustainable means of managing the City's organic waste. As an Environmental Planner and composting consulting for over a decade now, intimately familiar with the composting industry, regulatory framework and the ultimate use and benefits of compost, I would think it would be in the best interest of the City to determine definitely whether the City is capable of processing its own organic material for its own use to build healthy soil.
The composting industry has evolved technologically by leaps and bounds. Similarly, the need to begin turning our attention to building healthy urban soils to protect our urban forests and parks/recreational facilities is the innovation of the 21 st century, albeit a more natural one. Without healthy soil, our urban trees, our turf grasses and greenways loose their ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere and to capture rainfall, ultimately to die off and be removed. It is critical that cities such as Pasadena understand the climate change link between food waste management and healthy urban soil.
As a small business headquartered in Pasadena, and born and raised in Pasadena, I urge the Committee to support Local small businesses in their efforts to combat global climate change locally. We would like to explore with you other alternatives for not only reducing our waste Loads but also for keeping our food scraps local so as to avoid the need to increase haul rates that would adversely impact the city's residences and small businesses.
Thankyouforyourtime and attention to this matter!
Respectfully,
Christine
Christine Lenches-Hinkel
President/Principal Consultant
www.301 organics.com
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