Sustainability advisory board backs fourth compost drop-off at Taylor Farm Park

The New Albany Sustainability Advisory Board voted July 17 to recommend that the city add a fourth community compost drop-off location at Taylor Farm Park.

Molly Scott moved to recommend the addition and the motion was seconded and approved by roll call. The board discussed locations, visibility, and the potential to reallocate existing funds rather than increase the overall budget.

Staff said this year’s budget includes a line item for waste reduction and that staff could absorb the cost by shifting overbudgeted SLS grant money. "We could absorb this cost from that line item, so it wouldn't increase our overall budget," staff said. The board agreed the Taylor Farm location could be a visible, educational site adjacent to the community garden and recommended testing the site for a year and reassessing.

The vote to recommend the expansion will be forwarded to city council by staff; board members characterized the proposal as an experiment that could be pulled back if it did not generate expected use. "It makes sense being out there and sort of being involved in the community and see how it's growing," one member said.

At the same meeting staff also reported on a recently awarded waste reduction grant that funded a WaterMonster filtered filling station and aluminum reusable cups, which staff said were popular at summer concerts. Staff described new compost-drop signage at three locations (with QR registration) and the Green Guardians volunteer program that supplied event volunteers to staff waste stations; lessons from Juneteenth and a summer concert showed the need for visible signage, gloves for volunteers and clearer bin labels.

Next steps: staff will present the board’s recommendation for the fourth compost drop-off to city council and track usage if the council approves the expansion.