Commission approves MOU to store soft plastics in Coburns parking lot

The Huron City Commission approved a memorandum of understanding with Coburns to place a storage container in the store’s parking lot for collected soft plastics. Solid Waste Superintendent Dale Foron said the container is for storage only — the city will not sort plastics at the site — and Coburns will back-ship the weighed material. Foron said the city will pick up the container and weigh it before Coburns ships the material.

Foron and commissioners clarified that the arrangement is intended to reduce loose plastic blowing across the lot, that existing neighborhood drop sites remain in operation (the conversation identified three pickup locations: a Huron office location, the chamber, and the Huron Library), and that volunteers haul material from those drop sites to the Coburns container. Commissioners and staff thanked the volunteers who have kept the project running after another partner (East River) stepped back.

A motion to approve the MOU was made and seconded and the commission completed a roll-call vote to adopt the agreement. Foron noted the container has been used by the city for other textile/collection purposes and will be returned to the city at the end of the project.

Why it matters: The MOU maintains continuity of a volunteer-supported soft-plastics collection program and formalizes storage and shipping arrangements with a private retailer, while clarifying that the city is not sorting material on Coburns' property.

Next steps: The MOU was adopted and staff will implement the agreed handling and weighing procedures; the commission asked staff to continue public communications about the three official drop sites.