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Leesburg staff push for compost program expansion and downtown restaurant pilot using bag‑tax funds
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Summary
Town staff sought the commission’s endorsement to expand food‑waste drop‑off capacity, proposing a secondary site at Tuscarora Creek Park and a pilot to use Loudoun County bag‑tax funds to subsidize compost collection for small downtown restaurants; staff estimated roughly $4,500 annually for the new site.
Town staff told the commission that the town’s food‑waste drop‑off program has grown rapidly and that current capacity is constrained.
A recent pickup total reached roughly 1,100 pounds and staff said Liberty Lot is at capacity. To respond, staff proposed constructing an enclosure at Tuscarora Creek Park designed for six bin positions (initially populating four) and requested the commission’s endorsement to ask council for funding next fiscal year. Staff estimated the site would cost about $4,500 per year to operate and said they would ask council to budget that amount. The commission discussed volunteer opportunities and operational logistics, including whether the town or contracted processor would accept additional materials.
Separately, staff described a pilot proposal with Loudoun County to use bag‑tax proceeds to subsidize a downtown restaurant compost collection pilot. The pilot would accept up to seven small restaurants (under a specified seating threshold), provide one or two collection bins per business and arrange collection two to three times weekly. Staff cautioned that the pilot requires county and town approvals and that participating businesses must maintain a clean, separated organics stream to remain in the program.
