Significant changes proposed in Columbia recycling | Mid-Missouri News - KOMU 8
Significant changes proposed in Columbia recycling | Mid-Missouri News | komu.com
COLUMBIA − City Council swore in Jill Schlude, Columbia's new police chief, and new Second Ward council member Rachel Proffitt at its meeting on Monday.
Schlude's hiring comes after former Police Chief Geoff Jones announced his August retirement plans. She is the first woman to hold the position.
Proffitt will serve as interim council member until April 2024, when a regular election will be held to induct a full-time councilperson. She is replacing Andrea Waner, who recently moved out of the second ward.
Report on city's recycling system
Columbia City Council heard a report on the city's current recycling system at its meeting Monday night.
RRT Engineering, LLC, who was hired by the city manager to conduct an evaluation of the city's recycling processes, recommended significant changes to the council.
The recommendations include fully closing three recycling drop-off centers around the city. Two of those centers are on the MU campus, including one along Kentucky Boulevard near Bluford Hall and another near East Campus Road and Ashland Road. The third recommended closure would be downtown, on the south side of the Tenth and Cherry parking garage.
The group also suggested the consolidation of some of Columbia's other drop-off spots. The South Providence Road and State Farm Parkway drop-off centers could be consolidated and eventually gated and staffed, and the Cosmo Park drop-off center could be upgraded or relocated.
In an effort to increase staffing and staff retention, the group suggested the city spend an additional $2.2 million in roll carts in order to implement automated curbside recycling collection. They suggest a two-week collection cycle could bring curbside recycling collection back to Columbia quicker.
RRT Engineering also says the city's Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is nearing the end of its life. RRT will present four options: a full renovation of the current facility, a brand new facility either on the current site or at another site, and the outsourcing of all material recovery to either Kansas City or St. Louis.