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CONSIDERATION OF THE NORMAN MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY’S ACCEPTANCE OF A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,015 FROM THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FOR PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR 16 CARDBOARD CONTAINERS PURCHASED FOR USE AT COMMERCIAL BUSINESS LOCATIONS AND BUDGET APPROPRIATION.
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BACKGROUND: The City of Norman offers residential curbside recycling, four recycling drop-off centers, yard waste collections and composting, and cardboard recycling containers for commercial businesses. Through these avenues, last year, Norman’s Sanitation Division recycled 5,700 tons of curbside recycling, over 1,400 tons of recycling at the drop-off centers, over 5,300 tons of yard waste recycling and over 1,000 tons of commercial cardboard recycling. All totaled, over 13,400 tons of materials recycled in a single year.
DISCUSSION: The Solid Waste Management Act affords the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) resources in the form of partial grants that can help local governments with recycling efforts. The funding is limited and restricted to a 25% reimbursement up to a maximum of $20,000.
As mentioned above, the Sanitation Division has a program for commercial cardboard recycling. There are 136 cardboard recycling containers in service, including commercial businesses, schools and drop-off centers. This year, the Sanitation Division budgeted for the purchase of 16 cardboard containers for a total of $12,060. The Sanitation Division applied for and received a grant from DEQ for 25% of the total cost (including freight). The grant received was $3,015.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the approval and acceptance of the grant in the amount of $3,015; receipt funds in Miscellaneous Sanitation Grant (033-0000.331.13-46); and appropriate $3,015 to Recycling Refuse Receptacles (033-5566-432.51-08).