Champlain board agrees to one-year trial of county27s food-scrap recycling program

The Town Board of Champlain voted on Feb. 11 to enter a one-year trial of Clinton County27s Eat Smart Waste Less municipal food-scrap recycling initiative, a program the county says will supply collection containers, education materials and cover hauling costs for the first 12 months.

Clinton County Health Department public health educator Cody Douglas presented the program and urged the board to participate. "We have money available to set up your town with a supply of buckets that can be distributed to community members," Douglas said. He told the board the county had budgeted $40,000 to subsidize municipal startup costs and hauling for municipalities that join the pilot.

The program, funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, offers both small countertop containers (about 2.25 gallons) and 5-gallon buckets for household collection, Douglas said. Two private haulers discussed with the county are River Valley Regeneratives, a small Redford-based company that offers 32- and 50-gallon toters and flexible, as-needed pickups; and Casella, which started municipal food-scrap collection locally last fall and offers a 48-gallon tote with weekly pickup.

Douglas provided the board27s members with price estimates supplied by haulers: River Valley charges about $15 per bin per pickup for a single bin and $12 per bin per pickup if two or more bins are signed up at a location; the vendor also offers a two-week trial period for toter sizing. Casella quoted roughly $70 per tote per pickup, plus taxes and fees, and uses compostable bags placed inside a reusable tote.

Douglas said the county can pay for containers and cover hauling costs for the first year, using a voucher process to reimburse municipalities after they pay monthly bills. "We do have $40,000 that we allotted specifically for those costs for any municipalities that are interested," Douglas said.

Board members discussed logistics such as secure placement of a municipal collection container to prevent vandalism and wind-related problems, possible host locations (town hall alcove, transfer station or community partners such as Hudson Headwaters), and strategies to limit contamination (padlocked lids, subscription fees for combinations). Douglas said River Valley can retrofit toters for padlocks and suggested subscription fees or resale of county-supplied buckets as ways to sustain costs after the county subsidy ends.

The board voted to participate in the one-year pilot and to proceed with initial outreach and resident interest surveying. The motion to enter the Eat Smart Waste Less program for a one-year trial passed with board consensus.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of Jan. 14, 2025 minutes: motion carried (board vote recorded as unanimous in the meeting record).

- Town Clerk27s report (Jan. 12D31): local monies $640.39; non-local amounts $163.61 — approved by the board.

- Monthly bills and abstracts: total $117,871.15 (reported); approved by the board.

What matters: The pilot will provide residents free starter containers and education materials, relieve immediate hauling costs for one year while the county evaluates participation, and could create a municipal collection point or partner-hosted locations if the town wants a centralized option. After year one, the town would be expected to cover hauling costs; the county27s voucher process is intended to reimburse municipalities retroactively for the first-year hauling subsidy.

Clarifying details from the presentation

- County startup funding: $40,000 set aside to subsidize municipal costs and first-year hauling (source: Cody Douglas).

- Hauler pricing: River Valley Regeneratives quoted $15 per bin per pickup for single-bin service and $12 per bin per pickup for two or more bins; Casella quoted roughly $70 per 48-gallon tote per pickup, plus taxes and fees (source: Cody Douglas).

- Container sizes offered: kitchen countertop containers (~2.25 gallons) and 5-gallon buckets for household use; 32- and 50-gallon toters for municipal collection or shared sites (source: Cody Douglas).

- Operational notes: River Valley can perform on-demand pickups and offers a two-week trial period for toter sizing; Casella currently uses weekly pickup with compostable bag liners; New York State rules may require weekly pickup at convenience stations, which may affect feasibility of hosting a bin at the transfer station (source: Cody Douglas).

Next steps noted in the meeting

Douglas said the county will help the town survey resident interest and provide a sample municipal policy and promotional materials. The presenter said he would email contacts and follow-up materials the next day. The board said it would monitor community response during the trial year and decide whether to continue support after the county subsidy expires.

Sources and attributions: Quotations and program details come from Cody Douglas, public health educator, Clinton County Health Department; board comments and the formal vote are recorded in the meeting minutes.