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Marion County reorganizes Materials Management Advisory Council, adopts revised bylaws and appoints members
Summary
County commissioners approved revised bylaws to transform the Solid Waste Management Advisory Council into a broader Materials Management Advisory Council, expanded membership and appointed 15 initial members to staggered terms.
The Marion County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved revised bylaws to reconstitute the county's Solid Waste Management Advisory Council as the Materials Management Advisory Council and appointed an initial slate of members.
Brian May, Marion County Environmental Services division manager, told the board the change responds to Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act and aims to broaden representation and align county policy with statewide recycling and materials management reforms. The revised structure increases membership, adds nonvoting seats and seeks broader city and industry representation.
"We wanted to better align with the new integrated approach to solid waste and involve more communities in these decisions," May said, explaining the move from a largely Salem-centric group to representation from multiple cities and sectors.
Under the new bylaws the council will have 16 voting members and three nonvoting members representing cities, businesses, recycling and haulers, and community organizations. May said 15 applicants were before the board; four positions remain open, including a voting seat for the city of Silverton and two citizen positions for rural and urban representation.
Commissioners praised the reorganization as an opportunity to improve countywide recovery rates and increase community engagement. Commissioners also asked staff to stagger terms so all seats do not expire simultaneously.
The board voted to accept the revised bylaws and then approved an order appointing the 15 named members to terms ending July 31, 2029, with one commissioner-appointed seat expiring Dec. 31, 2025 per a motion modification. The board also directed staff to take a group photo and prepare a press release noting the new council's first meeting later that day.
May described immediate priorities for the council as public education, coordination across jurisdictions for consistent implementation and preparing actionable, community-centered proposals for investment as state funds become available under new recycling laws.
The appointments include city representatives from Salem, Keizer, Woodburn, Silverton (pending), Aurora and Jefferson, industry representatives including grocery and homebuilders, and seats for haulers and the recycling industry. The county will continue outreach to fill remaining seats.
The board's action also included a request that staff prepare a clear path forward for the council's early months, emphasizing digestible, community-led projects and school-based education programs to increase public ownership of recycling and waste reduction efforts.
