AGENDA REQUEST
GENERAL DISCUSSION ITEM
Subject:
title
Continued discussion regarding potential uses of the revenue received from Public Act No.21-58 “An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management” in accordance with “Resolution Regarding Revenues Received from Beverage Container Surcharges” (Nip Bottle Revenue) adopted on June 8, 2022.
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Background:
The “Bottle Bill” (Public Act No. 21-58 - An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management”) implemented a five-cent surcharge on any beverage container containing a spirit or liquor of fifty milliliters. Each quarter the surcharge fee is dispersed to the town in which the beverages were sold.
The funds could only be used for the following purposes:
(1) environmental measures intended to reduce the generation of solid waste;
(2) reduce the impact of litter caused by such solid waste, including, but not limited to, the hiring of a recycling coordinator
(3) the installation of storm drain filters designed to block solid waste and beverage container debris or
(4) The purchase of a mechanical street sweeper, vacuum or broom that removes litter, including, but not limited to, such beverage containers and other debris from streets, sidewalks and abutting lawn and turf
Department Comment/Recommendation:
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Meeting Action Detail:
Finance Committee Meeting 07/19/2023:
File #: 23 -1457 Version: 1
Type: Discussion -Agenda Item
Title: Continued discussion regarding potential uses of the revenue received from Public Act No.21-58 “An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management” in accordance with “Resolution Regarding Revenues Received from Beverage Container Surcharges” adopted on June 8, 2022.
Action: Discussed
Minute Note:
Mayor Allyn, III, stated that Montville recently implemented a program that local non-profit organizations could participate in to use some of the Opioid Settlement Funding for roadside cleanup. He stated he spoke to Montville Mayor Ronald McDaniel this afternoon about their program, noting that it was similar to the “Adopt a Highway” program. He stated Mayor McDaniel sent him some information regarding on how Montville was going to organize/structure the program. He explained that Montville was asking groups to “Adopt a Highway” which involved a roadside clean-up to pick-up liter as well as the nip bottles. He stated that Montville was asking the Groups/Organizations to keep the nip bottle separate, explaining that they would be compensated for the collection of the nip bottles. He stated if Montville finds the program to be effective that he would share the Montville’s Program with the Finance Committee to consider for implementation.
Action: Discussed
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Finance Committee Meeting 06/21/2023:
File #: 23 -1457 Version: 1
Type: Discussion -Agenda Item
Title: Continued discussion regarding potential uses of the revenue received from Public Act No.21-58 “An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management” in accordance with “Resolution Regarding Revenues Received from Beverage Container Surcharges” adopted on June 8, 2022.
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Action: No Action
Minute Note:
Councilor Ingalls stated that she reached out to the Beautification Committee about scheduling a town-wide clean-up day.
Action: No Action
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Finance Committee Meeting 05/03/2023:
File #: 23 -1457 Version: 1
Type: Discussion -Agenda Item
Title: Continued discussion regarding potential uses of the revenue received from Public Act No.21-58 “An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management” in accordance with “Resolution Regarding Revenues Received from Beverage Container Surcharges” adopted on June 8, 2022.
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Action: No Action
Minute Note:
Councilor Saums stated unfortunately this year Earth Day was a wash-out rainy weekend. However, he stated that he along with some neighbors did do some roadside clean-up and that he was aware of other residents who did the same, noting that one family picked-up 500 nip bottles. He stated he delivered a total of about 600 nip bottles to Resident Mrs. Betsy Graham and he noted that Mrs. Graham has asked that they get the word out either through the Ledyard Beautification Committee or social media that those who were picking up the nip bottles to drop the bags off to her. Councilor Saums stated that Mrs. Graham was planning to bring the nip bottles to the State Capital in Hartford to bring awareness of this issue. He stated residents can obtain clear plastic bags from Southeastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Authority (SCRRRA).
Councilor Ingalls stated that she and Deb Vessels do roadside clean-up in the area from the Ledyard sign coming into town from Preston and that they typically collect at least 100 nip bottles in that area. She stated she liked the idea of delivering the nip bottles to Hartford. She stated although they could coordinate a town-wide community event roadside clean-up that it did not address the root of the nip bottle problem. Councilor Saums stated he agreed with Councilor Ingalls, noting that it was a complex problem, stating that the Liquor Lobby was successful because there was not mechanism or stream to redeem the nip bottles. He stated the current return bottle/can machines do not take the small nip bottles. He stated the whole intent of the nip bottle was to buy it, drink it, and throw it out the window while driving. Therefore, he stated it was his opinion that the liquor nip bottles should be out lawed.
Mayor Allyn, III, stated that the Liquor Lobbyists were successful in blocking the nip bottle deposit proposal; with the State Legislature instead approving Public Act No. 21-58 “An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management” in accordance with “Resolution Regarding Revenues Received from Beverage Container Surcharges” - Nip Bottle Surcharge Disbursement. He reported that Ledyard received $13,048.20 from the Nip Bottle Surcharge, noting that this equated to 260,964 nip bottles (17 nips bottles per capita) sold in Ledyard during the past six-months.
Mayor Allyn went on to state unfortunately Public Act No. 21-58 which imposed a .05 cent surcharge on each nip bottle sold has not addressed the Municipalities concerns regarding the littering of nip bottles on the roadways and more importantly it has not deterred motorists from drinking, and driving, and throwing the nip bottles out of their car windows. He explained that the Municipalities were looking for a .25 cent returnable deposit on each nip bottle sold to provide an incentive for people to return the nip bottles, noting that you see people cleaning up the roads collecting other beverage containers to return them to the store for the refund. He stated the reason nip bottles were not picked-up was because there was not a bottle return and, as Councilor Saums noted, there were no bottle collection machines for nip bottles, noting their irregular sizes.
The Finance Committee reviewed the data sheet which listed the Nip Bottle Surcharge Disbursement for each of the state’s 169 towns noting the following towns:
|
Municipality |
Surcharge Disbursement |
|
East Lyme |
$12,835.80 |
|
Essex |
$4,925.60 |
|
Griswold |
$17,720.20 |
|
Groton |
$46,199.35 |
|
Hartford |
$78,448.85 |
|
Ledyard |
$13,048.20 |
|
Lisbon |
$3,577.20 |
|
New Haven |
$115,073.05 |
|
New London |
$35,838.20 |
|
Municipality |
Surcharge Disbursement |
|
Preston |
$4,845.00 |
|
Stonington |
$12,653.20 |
|
East Lyme |
$12,835.80 |
Councilor Ryan noted based on the data sheet that 231 nip bottles were being sold every day, per liquor/package store or 7,000 per month per package store.
They Finance Committee discussed the importance to bring awareness to their State Legislators regarding this issue and other ideas for the use of Nip Bottle Surcharge Funding noting the following:
• Try to engage Package Stores in a positive way to collect nip bottles, in an incentive type
of way.
• Support local non-profit groups such as Booster Clubs by having them use the collection
of nip bottles as a fund raiser and the Town could provide a monitory donation to the non-profit organization for the nip bottles using the Surcharge Funding.
Councilor Saums stated that he would like to see the Beautification Committee be involved in the nip bottle collection to bring this issue to Hartford. However, he stated the roadside clean-up needed to be done either in the Spring before the brush begins to grow, or in the Fall. Councilor Ingalls stated that she was the Liaison to the Beautification Committee and that she would email their Chairman Jen Eastbourne and that she would include Councilor Saums to get the conversation started.
Action: No Action
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Finance Committee Meeting 04/19/2023:
File #: 23 -1457 Version: 1
Type: Discussion -Agenda Item
Title: Continued discussion regarding potential uses of the revenue received from Public Act No.21-58 “An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management” in accordance with “Resolution Regarding Revenues Received from Beverage Container Surcharges” adopted on June 8, 2022.
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Action: No Action
Minute Note:
Councilor Saums stated during the Finance Committee’s April 5, 2023 discussion they noted that there was not enough time to organize a town-wide clean-up day for this year’s April 22, 2023 Earth Day, for a variety of reasons which included that the Beautification Committee had a number of new members and were working to get their feet under them. However, he stated his road (Pumpkin Hill Road) was organizing a clean-up which would include picking-up nip bottles. He stated that he sent the Pumpkin Hill Road’s Plan to the Beautification Committee to ask if there were other groups in town who were doing a roadside clean up that they put the nip bottles in clear plastic bags, which Southeastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Authority (SCRRRA) would provide and mark the number of nip bottles in the bags and leave the nip bottle bags on the side of the road. He stated if other groups wanted to do the same that they could possibly collect quite a few bags of nip bottles and bring them to the State Capital in Hartford.
Action: No Action
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Finance Committee Meeting 04/5/2023:
File #: 23 -1457 Version: 1
Type: Discussion -Agenda Item
Title: Continued discussion regarding potential uses of the revenue received from Public Act No.21-58 “An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management” in accordance with “Resolution Regarding Revenues Received from Beverage Container Surcharges” adopted on June 8, 2022.
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Action: Discussed/Continued
Minute Note:
Councilor Saums provided some background noting that the “Bottle Bill” (Public Act No. 21-58 - An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management”) implemented a five-cent surcharge on any beverage container containing a spirit or liquor of fifty milliliters. He explained that the State’s initial proposal was to place a .25 cent deposit on nip bottles. However, he stated the .25 cent nip bottle deposit failed because the Liquor Lobbyists successfully convinced the State to instead give money the towns to pay for the clean-up of the nip bottles that litter the sides of the roads.
Councilor Saums went on to explain that based on the “Bottle Bill” (Public Act No. 21-58 - An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management”) the State approved 0.5 cent surcharge on each bottle noting that every six-months the State would disburse the surcharge fee to the town in which the beverages were sold. He stated the last disbursement Ledyard received was in the amount of $13,027.06 which was for the sale of 260,541 nip bottles during that period. He stated in accordance with Public Act No.21-58 and Ledyard’s Resolution #003-2022-June 8 the surcharge funds could only be used for the following purposes:
(1) Environmental measures intended to reduce the generation of solid waste;
(2) Reduce the impact of litter caused by such solid waste, including, but not limited to, the hiring of a recycling coordinator
(3) The installation of storm drain filters designed to block solid waste and beverage container debris or
(4) The purchase of a mechanical street sweeper, vacuum or broom that removes litter, including, but not limited to, such beverage containers and other debris from streets, sidewalks and abutting lawn and turf.
Councilor Saums went on to explain that the surcharge revenue was being appropriated to Account 21040101-57316 (Beverage Container Surcharges) and that the funds could accumulate in the Account until the town decided on a plan to spend the funds. He stated the purpose for tonight’s discussion was to discuss ideas on how to spend the funds.
The Committee discussed the following ideas for the use of the Bottle Bill Revenues:
• Collect the nip bottle and deposit them on the steps of the Capital in Hartford.
• Offer Residents 0.25 cents per nip bottle they pick-up from the roads, until the money was used up. The following was discussed regarding this idea:
o Ask Southeastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Authority (SCRRRA) to provide the clear plastic bags for the town’s roadside clean-up; which SCRRRA has done in past years.
o Ask Residents to put the nip bottles in the clear plastic bags.
o Who would count the bottles, it’s a dirty job.
• Street Sweeping - Public Works Director/Town Engineer Steve Masalin stated in consultation with Finance Director Matthew Bonin that some of the Bottle Bill revenues were already being spent to rent a Street Sweeper, noting that this was one of the state statutory eligible uses. He stated it would take them about one month to
sweep the entire town and the cost would use about one-third of the annual accrual Bottle Bill revenues. He stated in December, 2022 the town sold the 2000 Mobil Athey Sweeper for $15,000 using the GovDeals on-line auction site. He addressed the cost to house and maintain a piece of equipment that the town only used for one month out of the year, noting that it may be more cost effective to rent a sweeper. However, he stated that this opinion may change now that the State Legislation would allow the town to use the Bottle Bill Revenue to purchase a sweeper. He stated with availability of an annual $30,000 from the Bottle Bill Revenues that they may be able to finance a sweeper well within its replacement cycle along with the associated maintenance costs.
Councilor Saums stated that he liked spending the funding to pay for roadside sweeping, however, he stated that sweeping the streets did not fix the problem of nip bottles littering their roads.
• Town Sanctioned Community Roadside Clean-up Day - Councilor Ingalls stated a few years ago the Beautification Committee organized a Community Roadside Clean-up Event, noting that they asked for Street Captains, Neighborhood Captains, trash bags were provided, etc. She stated they had a great response noting the tremendous number of residents that turned out to participate in the event. She suggested the Community Clean-Up Day could concluded on the Town Green where prizes would be awarded for a variety of categories such as: Strangest Item Picked Up; the Most Number of Nip Bottles, etc. She stated the Event could be funded by the Bottle Bill Revenues. She stated that they could ask the Beautification Committee if they would like to organize this type of event.
Councilor Saums stated Earth Day was April 22, 2023, noting that they would not have enough time this year to organize a Community Clean-Up Day to happen on Earth Day. Councilor Ingalls stated the Beautification Committee had a lot of new members and that they were working to get themselves organized. She stated although Spring was a good time of year to have a Community Clean-Up Day because vegetation has not grown in yet, that the Community Clean-Up Day could be scheduled for any time noting that maybe it could be held in the Fall for this year.
Councilor Saums thanked Mr. Masalin for attending tonight’s meeting.
Public Works Director/Town Engineer Steve Masalin left the meeting at 5:52 p.m.
Action: Discussed/Continued