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Charlevoix County materials committee approves FY2026 work program; discusses composting, outreach and landfill data
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Summary
The Charlevoix County Materials Management Planning Committee approved its Fiscal Year 2026 work program June 26, 2025, and discussed strategies to boost public survey responses, ramp up composting and diversion programs, and verify industrial waste inputs to county landfills.
The Charlevoix County Materials Management Planning Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Materials Management Plan work program and discussed outreach and composting priorities at its June 26, 2025 meeting at the Shirley Roloff Center.
Mathew Cooke, DPA Networks Northwest staff, said the draft FY2026 work program was developed using the FY2025 framework and highlighted revisions to task notes and meeting dates. "The draft 2026 Fiscal Year Work Program was developed using the FY 2025 framework," Cooke said. The committee voted to approve the work program and forward it to the Charlevoix County Approval Agency for consideration; the motion carried unanimously.
The committee also reviewed the resident survey designed to inform the plan. Cooke reported a low return to date, noting "33 responses" from Charlevoix residents in the transcript, and said staff will continue outreach at community events, issue renewed press releases, and pursue placement of the survey with local winter tax bills. He said staff plan a survey analysis after October and an update after December and hope to close the surveys at year-end.
Members reviewed landfilling data prepared by consulting firm RRS. Committee discussion flagged that industrial waste comprises a large share of county landfill tonnage and that staff should verify assumptions that St. Mary’s Cement or other firms account for those industrial inputs to ensure accuracy of diversion-rate calculations.
Cooke presented a facilities map showing recycling and solid-waste drop-off sites and led a facilitated visioning exercise to identify challenges and opportunities for the next 10 years. Committee priorities included data-driven decision-making, expanding food-waste composting and investment, partnerships with businesses for composting operations, improved public education about recyclables, increased multi-family recycling access, and consideration of Thumb Lake Park as a potential county-owned site for pilot activities.
During public comment, Lora Roberts of Charlevoix County announced that the county is accepting applications for Parks Millage appropriations in 2026 for maintenance or "clean and green" projects and said the program is a one-time opportunity of "$10,000 per project" funded through the Charlevoix County Parks Millage. Josh Cline announced the household hazardous waste collection event slated for Sept. 5–6, 2025, and said the committee did not receive this cycle's scrap tire grant and will pursue the next opportunity.
The committee confirmed the next meeting for Sept. 25 in Traverse City with a planned site visit to the GFL transfer site and materials recovery facility; Charlevoix County will provide transportation from Charlevoix and asked interested attendees to contact Lora Roberts. The meeting adjourned at 11:12 a.m.