Council member arranges meeting to push municipal food-waste collection after earlier policy adoption

A council member told the Plattsburgh City Council at its March 6 work session that she has reengaged a food-hauler and Clinton County Health Department staff to resume efforts to collect municipal food waste from city buildings under a previously adopted city policy.

The council member said Jennifer Perry, a food hauler who helped on the original pilot, is willing to provide service, and that she has arranged a meeting with Cody from the Clinton County Health Department and Kaylee Rayville to discuss logistics and the path to implementation. She said the city already has the necessary collection materials and that the meeting will focus on how to get municipal food waste removed from city buildings.

Cody is scheduled to make a presentation to the Climate Smart Task Force on March 19, the council member said; she described the March 19 meeting as an open Climate Smart Task Force event where the issue can be discussed publicly. The council member asked for council support to enforce the food-waste-reduction policy in municipal buildings if the group identifies a feasible implementation plan.

Council members asked about the cost and procurement path. The council member said Jennifer Perry provided a tentative contract and that the annual cost “is not huge” and “not like $70,000 a year,” but no precise figure was presented in the work session. The council asked whether the procurement policy or an RFP would be required before awarding a contract; staff did not provide a procurement determination at the meeting and said they would supply more information later.

The council member said she will ask staff to post the planned meeting on the city calendar and will report back after the March 19 Climate Smart Task Force presentation.