WEBVTT
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Yes, at this late date in the afternoon.
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Uh, my name is Mark King.
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I'm the organics management specialist for the division of Materials Management.
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I run the organics program and also manage the waste Diversion grants program.
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I have three other folks that work with me, Megan Mansfield-Pryor Jim Guerra and Mike Parker was a member of the group, but he's recently taken another job.
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So what I want to talk to you today about is the waste diversion grant the process some of the some of the ways to apply and more specifically hopefully answer some of the questions that may be lurking in your mind through this presentation.
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And then allow you an opportunity to then ask more questions as you wish, because once I release the RFP, there's a very narrow window of two weeks where you have to submit questions in writing, and those are the only questions that you can ask.
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And I then submit the answers before the end of the period.
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Seven days prior to proposals due and that's how you get the information.
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So this is a a very rare chance to ask as many questions as you'd like.
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So to getting through the program, the main solid waste diversion grant program is definitely a statutory program.
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Section 220O1B.
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It was established to help increase the diversion of solid waste from disposal in the state and what's very important is awards must be aligned with two hierarchies to solid waste management hierarchy and the food recovery hierarchy, which was usually adopted in 2016.
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The wards are prioritized based on the maximum benefit for the amount of money you're requesting in terms of increasing diversion of solid waste from disposal options, and I grant web page is also available and when this meeting has been recorded and transcribed, we'll be able to have those as live links as well.
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OK, so these are the two hierarchies we're talking about.
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Reduce, reuse.
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Recycle.
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We're all familiar with that.
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That's been the mantra for many years, a compost we also have anaerobic digestion as well as another possibility.
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And then we get down to the disposal side where you have waste to energy where the material is still disposed, but energy is generated from the process.
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So it does have a higher value than landfilling and what we're looking for for these solid waste diversion grant proposals is that you're trying to push waste up the hierarchy towards higher and better end uses.
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That's something that we find extremely important to us, so some of the notable things, as I said once the RFP's issued, the only person that you can contact is myself.
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And it's only if there is a problem with your proposal, and that's usually I'll contact you in other cases, though, you just have that two week window to submit written questions and then we can't have any interaction.
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And that includes calling me or sending me emails, which has been a problem in the past.
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You definitely must follow all of the instructions in the application package.
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The RFP and failure to do so could get your your proposal disqualified.
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But most important, please read the entire thing, because there's lots of nuances in there that if you don't read them, you don't pick them up and and that can be a problem.
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And then another one that's that's been a big thing for us.
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If you are going in jointly with another entity, let's say that you're a, a, A community and you wanna have somebody collect your food and and do the work.
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Come in as Co applicants and then we'll figure out who gets the money.
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Who signs the contract?
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It's really important that you don't come in as the person and then expect the other entity to actually sign the contract.
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So come in jointly and then we'll figure out if you win an award, who gets the contract and who the money goes to.
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So that's really super important.
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Who's eligible to apply this is another thing that that kind of has been a very important thing for us, and that is that only main based entities can apply for this waste diversion grant and they can be main based entities with partners that aren't main based.
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But the entity of line for the grant has to be main based.
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You must be able to demonstrate that your program, project or anything that you're trying to do is gonna increase the diversion of solid waste from disposal within a sector of the state of Maine, and that can be organics.
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It can be.
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Recycling it can be reuse and repair of old equipment to make it new again.
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All those things are eligible, so that would be a solid waste facility, a private business, nonprofit schools.
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We've even actually had individuals that are associated with some project in their community, so all those things are eligible for funding.
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Some of the things that are important as well though, is that if you are a facility that wants to do a compost project and you're required to have a license in order to do it, you can't apply for the waste of version grant funds until you actually have that license.
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We've had situations where we have granted money and the entity hadn't gotten their permit yet and it became very problematic because we can't give you money until the project is solvent and we know it's going forward.
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So we've now requiring that you must have your state or local licensure if you hold it apartment license and you're applying for waste diversion.
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Grant, you must be current with all your annual reporting and all of your annual reporting fees as well.
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So you must be in total compliance with the regulations from the department in order to be considered, and then that also includes any state and local laws, ordinances and things like that in your Community as well.
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So the idea is that we just want a legitimate proposal from from a group that that is gonna move forward with a good project.
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Some of the eligible activities we have and and we've had some really awesome ones.
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One of my favorites actually is the reuse and repair clinics where they take old broken equipment and they turn it into new again.
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I think that's really cool.
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We had another one where we had a lending library where they took in electronic devices like weed wackers and lawn mowers, and people could actually sign them out and try them before they bought them.
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That was another cool project, but of course the near and dear to my heart of the organics recovery projects and and we've had quite a few of those.
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But the idea is that any programmer business that can collect, transport, process or move organics and other recycled materials towards higher and better uses, all of those are eligible.
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Another one that's really eligible that we like a lot is education and outreach.
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We love educating folks.
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We love students working on educational programs, so any opportunity we have to see good organics and good recycling education spread through communities and through the state, that's a really great project and something that we like.
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So we want to prioritize applications.
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This was originally when it first started was part of the State Planning Office and they were 100% municipal grants.
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We we now offer any any sector of the state can apply, but we do give a lot of priority to municipal and regional associations, a lot of like a vcog and some of the other groups that work to help other communities because we're looking for the greatest expansion of energy.
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The greatest mention of education and the greatest diversion of waste through communities.
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So these groups tend to do that.
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Other places that we look at and there are noted areas in the state of Maine are those that are underserved.
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Washington County, for example.
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I, Bristol County, to a certain extent as well and some of the other communities in Maine that that may not have a high tax base but still have an immediate need.
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So we definitely are looking for those and any waste prevention, food donation, gleaning, reuse, repair, all of those are really great priorities, education and outreach.
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And then if there's a statewide need and you're looking to address that statewide need that that's very important as well.
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And then, of course, reducing the greenhouse gases, we actually just got off a meeting with with the climate group talking about food scraps and things.
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And so any chances to reduce emissions is is another good one.
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And then expanding, if you find a new sector, a glass is one that comes to mind.
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Where we're getting more and more interest in recovering that and reusing it.
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So that's another another place that can be prioritized.
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So things that aren't eligible, any proposal that requires legislation to pass in order to be implemented is definitely not anything that that, that you can apply for the legislation has to have already been passed for that to occur.
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Any projects or programs that have already been undertaken?
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Let's say that you bought a compactor and you're now hoping to kind of pay it off with.
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That's not gonna happen.
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We're specifically looking at, say you got a compactor, now you want to expand the way that it's used then that is eligible.
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So previous purchases can't be applied for, but any new purchases to augment an existing system are definitely eligible.
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We also don't want to and and and can't pay for any administrative indirect costs.
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Fringe things like that, and we specifically have stopped paying salaries of faculty and other full time staff.
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We still will entertain students and interns if you have a project where you're going to employ a student to help get it started, maybe help do education.
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Those costs are still eligible, but we can't cover any fringe or any benefits, just just the salary of that person and any disposal costs associated with what you're trying to do with, let's say that you're going to have somebody come collect your food scraps.
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We can't pay for the food scrap collection service, but any of those costs that I mentioned that aren't eligible can all be applied as your match and we require a 25% match in order to 25% of the total project cost.
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So you can use all those defrayed costs, the fringe and all of that, and offer that as match to help cover your piece of the grant.
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So can I ask questions on the RFP?
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That's, that's the one that's that I put in here on purpose.
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And the answer is you can ask questions in writing during the first two weeks of the application RFP release process.
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At that point, it ends.
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I come up with answers and I post those answers at least seven days prior to the closing of the RFP period and that'll be put on the purchases website where you can actually look up and see the answers to all those submitted questions.
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So you use Appendix E and there's very specific directions in the RFP on how to do that.
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But the whole goal is that everybody has a chance to see the same question, just like today.
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Everybody has a chance to see the same questions asked and I will put a link to this video in the RFP so that anybody that hasn't seen it can pop on and take a look at it and plus a Jessica is also going to transcribe it as well.
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So that way there's a written record of any questions that were asked and all that we discussed.
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So this is a really cool and this is one that Megan put in I and I like it.
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It's how do you make it pop out?
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What's what's some cool stuff?
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And the first is to think beyond your organization or your immediate community.
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If you wanna do a compost operation or your transfer station, think about all the communities around me.
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Are they doing anything?
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Maybe I can work together with them synergistically, and now I've expanded what I'm doing over many communities.
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So just take a look outside your little project that you're proposing and find ways to make it bigger.
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And then so that's the the second one, of course.
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And then is the target area underserved?
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Will your project make a real, substantial difference?
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If you're, if you're an underserved area and you say I'm gonna do this and this is gonna benefit my people because I have the most food insecure place in the state of Maine and we're gonna find a way to conserve this food and get it to a higher and better use, that's awesome.
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That's the stuff that we want to see.
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Is your project unique?
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And if if so, what about it is different?
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So really talk about your project.
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You know all the goodness of it.
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Is it likely to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if it is, don't just say it is.
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Give us some way of being able to actually measure that.
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So when we compare these proposals, we're looking at the most competitive for the money that they're asking.
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So the more you put in, the better.
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And does the proposal push materials up the waste hierarchy?
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And as I said, food donation, feeding hungry people, gleaning, feeding hungry animals, reuse, repair lending programs and other sharing initiatives, all those move stuff up the hierarchy and that's what we're trying to do is get stuff away from disposal.
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That's our biggest key.
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So how do you apply?
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Well, there's gonna be an RFP release.
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If you send me an email and you're not currently receiving any of our information, I will put you on our listserv.
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We have 168 member listserv.
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When the RFP is released, it's sent out in the local papers.
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It's also tweeted by David Meador, are a deputy commissioner, but also that list serve.
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I blasted out on that as well.
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So we have multiple ways of getting you the press release with the RFP in it.
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And then from there, everything that you need to know is in that package, you must submit it exactly as described in the RFP.
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Purchases will receive them up until like 1159.
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Whatever deadline they give you, they automatically stop receipt one second over that timeline.
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So a lot of people wait till the last minute.
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I've had people the day before I have two proposals and then that next day I have 30 so it can happen and just remember they're very competitive and we can only give 125,000 the minimum amount we've ever given is $347 and the highest amount we can give is 40,000.
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So if you think about that three, 40,000 or is almost chops up all the money.
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So we're very careful to review these things and come up with the best possible results based on the quality of the proposals that we get.
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If we get 3 great proposals that are all super high quality and they all want 40,000, then those first three will get the 40,000.
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So our group is very, very good about consensus evaluation and then the information in the application must be complete and accurate.
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I've had people submit applications and then after they submit it say I wanna send some more stuff in and the answer is no.
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If you if if you do something like that, you've got to withdraw it and start over as long as you do it before the deadline.
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And then I have that question submission again, so common pitfalls.
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The biggest one is we had a year where three people were disqualified at the beginning beginning because they didn't meet their 25% match really carefully.
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Look at that, because if it's not 25% match, we automatically disqualify your application from further processing.
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Pay attention to deadlines for questions and completed application and and remember you can't call me and ask questions.
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You can't send me an email.
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It can only be submitted on that written form and only within the first two weeks, and I actually have a deadline date that they have to be received by.
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Make sure you get all the documents the first time.
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Ask questions through the appropriate channel on time.
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So today is a good one and follow all the instructions as best you can.
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So this is a big one.
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The final word on math.
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I'll proposals providing financial match.
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We actually had a a problem this last round and the bottom line is that if you're proposing money, it has to be money that's dedicated specifically towards being matched and not money.
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You don't have yet.
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You're hoping to get down the road, so we're gonna require that if you do a financial match, you have to show us a bank statement or a notice of intent to fund by a bank or other lending institution or any any communication verifying the available funds are there and they have been set aside for the specific activity.
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And this is a big one.
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Under no circumstances can waste diversion funds be used as collateral to secure loans or leverage to secure other funding sources.
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That's a really big no, no.
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And that would get you a proposal disqualified.
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And that is pretty much it.
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I'll open it up to questions.
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Alright, we just had a few new folks join if you wanna ask a question, just put a hand up.
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I'll make you a presenter and and you'll have the availability to ask your question.
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I made uh Laura, a presenter.
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You're welcome to ask your question.
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Does his muted.
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Go.
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OK.
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Can you hear me now?
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Yes.
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Great.
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Yes.
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Ohh OK, thanks so much.
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So I'm calling you from Eastport, Umm and I have a couple of questions based on looking at the previous cycles application.
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So I'm assuming that the application is going to be pretty much the same.
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Real, real similar, just with more detail as I put in the presentation about eligibility and things like that.
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OK, so I have.
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Let's say 1234 questions.
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Not yet.
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OK, so the the first one is we will probably have some in kind as part of our match.
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I couldn't figure out from looking at the application form where where we would put the in kind value.
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How we would note that down.
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In in the cost proposal sheet, there is a grant side and there is a uh side that you put down.
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What you're going to give, if you look at the, I think it's sheet #4.
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OK, OK.
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And so we, I'm sorry, go ahead.
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And and So what you need to do is just like if, let's say you're gonna put your salary or you're putting disposal costing.
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Just get an exact dollar figure and put it in there and the key is get at least 25% of the total.
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So let's say that the project's gonna cost $45,000 and you'd like to get from us 20,000.
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And you say we're gonna put in 25.
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That's more than 25% match, and that's all we're shooting for.
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OK, so if if we had a company that said that it wants, it would be happy to donate us some materials, we would get the in kind dollar amount value of those of those materials and just put that in, no noting that it's in kind.
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Absolutely.
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We're we're not trying to rob the bank here.
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Sure.
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We just want people to have skin in the game and so that 25% match shows that you're not just asking us for money.
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You're committed to what you're doing.
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OK.
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Umm.
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And so also having to do with the match.
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Our municipal budget has the Eastport recycling committee align item, budget and match.
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But budget amount is it.
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Does that qualify for the financial match statement, or do we actually need to get the bank statement you're just referring to?
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No.
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OK.
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If you have matched this dedicated by a town process, that would be satisfactory for us, would you agree with that, Megan?
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Yeah.
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OK, great.
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Make making and I pretty much there's one other person in the group, but we we pretty much agree on almost everything.
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OK, great.
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So it it it's a.
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It's a great group.
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OK.
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And also on the financial side, in the application I saw that there was a there was a statement requirement about the financial viability of the institution or municipality applying.
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So again, could the city of E ports, fiscal year municipal budget qualify for that?
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OK, OK.
00:21:00.020 --> 00:21:01.410
Yeah, I don't see why not.
00:21:01.170 --> 00:21:19.980
And then OK and then the last question, umm, where you're asking for for instance, if we were going to use a subcontractor to do some repair work that we need, we would need to have done, umm well our municipal bid process can't happen until the money actually was awarded to us.
00:21:20.170 --> 00:21:24.240
So we can get estimates, but we cannot do a sub contractor list.
00:21:24.250 --> 00:21:28.850
We can't commit to that until an award happens, so.
00:21:28.610 --> 00:21:29.130
Yeah, it.
00:21:30.260 --> 00:21:31.250
No, that's fine.
00:21:31.320 --> 00:21:32.150
Where?
00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:37.070
Where we ran in the trouble was that we had a community that applied.
00:21:37.320 --> 00:21:38.850
They sent in two forms.
00:21:38.980 --> 00:22:03.710
The first form the contractor applied for the Waste diversion grant, the second form the contractor, was listed as the person, but the the town manager signed it and in essence the way that we do our grants is that the person that signed as the proposal is originator, they get the money and so we had a conflict and we just couldn't, couldn't do it.
00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:16.810
So you can put down contractor fees and you know you can estimate those and those if they're doing, they're helping to construct something or that that's OK we would consider paying those fees.
00:22:17.160 --> 00:22:24.590
But you know, you could also say that in lieu of that, and got an estimate will offer that as match.
00:22:24.820 --> 00:22:25.460
So you could do it.
00:22:25.470 --> 00:22:27.390
You could do it either way, I mean.
00:22:30.410 --> 00:22:31.200
Somebody's.
00:22:31.670 --> 00:22:32.690
Somebody's got some noise.
00:22:35.550 --> 00:22:35.800
Is.
00:22:36.070 --> 00:22:36.670
Is that Laura?
00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:39.620
OK.
00:22:38.910 --> 00:22:39.850
That makes sense, Laura.
00:22:39.950 --> 00:22:40.990
We'll we losing you.
00:22:41.710 --> 00:22:42.530
Yes it does.
00:22:42.540 --> 00:22:43.740
I will go on to mute now.
00:22:43.750 --> 00:22:44.680
That's the end of my question.
00:22:44.690 --> 00:22:45.270
Thank you so much.
00:22:45.650 --> 00:22:46.140
Alright, awesome.
00:22:46.150 --> 00:22:46.490
Thank you.
00:22:49.170 --> 00:22:50.540
And seriously, folks, don't be shy.
00:22:50.550 --> 00:22:54.040
This this is your chance to ask us unabated.
00:22:54.150 --> 00:22:55.080
And you can ask anything.
00:22:57.160 --> 00:22:58.530
So Emma is a.
00:22:59.180 --> 00:22:59.440
OK.
00:23:02.580 --> 00:23:03.600
Yeah.
00:23:03.820 --> 00:23:05.250
Thanks so much for your presentation.
00:23:05.260 --> 00:23:20.410
Mark, I was wondering if you could speak a little more to how the process works if you're planning to Co apply with another business or municipality and do you separate out which funds will go to which business?
00:23:20.420 --> 00:23:26.780
Do you how together is the application versus how separate are the two parts of each entity applying?
00:23:27.550 --> 00:23:27.920
OK.
00:23:27.930 --> 00:23:28.080
I'll.
00:23:30.950 --> 00:23:31.130
Umm.
00:23:28.090 --> 00:23:41.540
I'll give you one and since this public knowledge, I'll say the names garbage to garden worked with the city of Sanford and the city of Sanford was the one that's that signed everything but they wanted the money to go to garbage, to garden.
00:23:41.930 --> 00:23:52.680
So during the contract process, if you just supply as Co applicants during the contract process, we identify who is actually gonna get the funds and they're the person that we write the contract with.
00:23:53.900 --> 00:23:55.070
So that would be how it worked.
00:23:55.080 --> 00:23:59.950
Now if you want to have some money, go to you and some money, go to a contractor.
00:24:00.460 --> 00:24:10.680
I would suggest that if you're a municipality or another entity, you apply for the grant and then put in the cost proposal that these funds are gonna go towards this piece.
00:24:11.780 --> 00:24:17.700
That would be the best way to do it, but if you wanna apply as cohabitants we can figure it out during contract writing.
00:24:19.260 --> 00:24:20.290
OK, awesome.
00:24:20.380 --> 00:24:20.810
Thank you.
00:24:24.150 --> 00:24:24.350
Yeah.
00:24:20.820 --> 00:24:36.750
Because I I'm here representing a pleasant mountain, and we have, we have one of our colleagues from Sugarloaf on as well, and technically we're separate businesses, but we do a lot together, so if we were considering applying together, I just wanted to kind of hash out how that would work.
00:24:37.360 --> 00:24:38.030
Absolutely.
00:24:38.040 --> 00:24:39.810
I mean, that's the best way in.
00:24:40.120 --> 00:24:41.520
What do you think about this, Megan?
00:24:41.530 --> 00:24:43.990
I I think I'd like both people to sign it as well.
00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:47.580
If they're coat applicants, does that work for you, or does it really matter?
00:24:51.640 --> 00:24:51.840
Yeah.
00:24:48.560 --> 00:24:53.290
I think that's what we had before was trying to remember what garbage to Garden Sanford did.
00:24:56.860 --> 00:24:57.060
Yep.
00:24:53.300 --> 00:24:57.290
But I think they did both sign and we had contacts at both entities.
00:25:14.390 --> 00:25:14.510
Yes.
00:24:57.300 --> 00:25:15.170
Just so if we could reach out of questions came up and I think you probably mentioned this mark, but just in case people can look at the RFP page and pull up comments and review information from the previous rounds of grants, which might be helpful if you're thinking about applying cause you can go back and see how we scored things.
00:25:15.180 --> 00:25:19.760
And it's I think that's a good a good process to go through if you're thinking about applying.
00:25:20.700 --> 00:25:21.330
Absolutely.
00:25:21.340 --> 00:25:45.790
And I would encourage you to go on the purchases page with the RFP is and if you go down, Scroll down to the bottom, you'll see at the very, very bottom is waste diversion grant and you can see every single cycle that has happened since 2018 and all of the preselection package, it's like 140 to 160 pages long, but you see every single bit that goes into it and get an idea of what you're up against.
00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:46.750
That's great.
00:25:46.760 --> 00:25:47.380
Great suggestion.
00:25:49.330 --> 00:25:49.760
Awesome.
00:25:49.770 --> 00:25:50.250
Thank you guys.
00:25:59.270 --> 00:26:01.060
So there's yeah.
00:25:59.340 --> 00:26:01.100
It's like look, Laura again.
00:26:05.120 --> 00:26:05.880
Oh, OK, OK.
00:26:14.710 --> 00:26:14.970
OK.
00:26:02.600 --> 00:26:15.970
I think her hand is just up from the first time still, so we're all caught up on the hands that one up in the first round.
00:26:23.740 --> 00:26:24.680
Any other questions?
00:26:24.690 --> 00:26:26.270
I'm surprised there's not more.
00:26:26.280 --> 00:26:31.210
Usually there's there's a lots and lots of questions about subtle nuances.
00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:33.260
I can't believe I explained it that well.
00:26:41.030 --> 00:26:43.540
Maybe it's because you've done a bunch of these presentations.
00:26:43.550 --> 00:26:44.660
Now you've covered it all.
00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:54.280
OK.
00:26:54.270 --> 00:26:54.460
Umm.
00:26:45.820 --> 00:27:01.970
Well, it I just, I think that this is really important and I think we're gonna do these for every round from now on because I I I just, I hate having people send me emails or phone calls and I tell them that I can't talk to them until it's all done.
00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:03.130
I I just.
00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:09.260
I'm a people person and I wanna be able to have discussions with people so Ohh town of Soland.
00:27:09.890 --> 00:27:10.130
Yeah.
00:27:12.520 --> 00:27:13.500
We made your presenter.
00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:23.460
Are they muted?
00:27:24.300 --> 00:27:24.890
No.
00:27:25.320 --> 00:27:28.890
So we're not hearing you if you are speaking.
00:27:35.230 --> 00:27:37.460
It if your audio doesn't work.
00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:40.570
It's off.
00:27:41.630 --> 00:27:42.400
You want me to turn it?
00:27:42.410 --> 00:27:42.840
I can't.
00:27:37.470 --> 00:27:43.320
If you wanna type a question in the chat, if anybody wants to type, oh, the chat is yeah.
00:27:42.930 --> 00:27:43.710
I can turn it on.
00:27:43.330 --> 00:27:44.720
Turn, turn, turn the chat on.
00:27:45.550 --> 00:27:46.350
OK, let's see.
00:27:44.730 --> 00:27:49.430
Yeah, because because there are people that are shy that don't like to be on camera.
00:27:50.100 --> 00:27:50.300
OK.
00:27:50.020 --> 00:27:52.900
Any questions you have bump them into chat and we'll do it that way too.
00:27:59.770 --> 00:28:01.180
Do you want to talk a little bit, Megan?
00:28:01.190 --> 00:28:09.550
About some of the some of the projects that that we've done that you really like yourself because you're you're kind of the materials recycling person.
00:28:11.140 --> 00:28:11.470
That is.
00:28:10.950 --> 00:28:12.380
Yeah, well, sure.
00:28:12.390 --> 00:28:18.480
I I think one of my favorite recent ones that comes to mind cause some of the ones that have been farther back.
00:28:18.490 --> 00:28:28.540
I'm are a little bit distant my memory, but I really like the South Portland one, so the city of South Portland applied for a grant to do a lending program.
00:28:28.550 --> 00:28:30.670
So they're running it.
00:28:30.710 --> 00:28:43.300
It's like you would do a library, but they're doing it for electric tools so that people can, for one thing, not not have to buy something new and just be able to, you know, go out and get an electric tool to use when they need it.
00:28:43.550 --> 00:28:47.200
But it's also good because not everybody can afford to buy an electric tool.
00:28:47.210 --> 00:28:56.910
They tend to be more expensive than some of the gas powered stuff, so it's a great way to reduce waste because people are sharing something instead of going out and buying something that sits in their garage.
00:28:56.950 --> 00:29:00.960
You know, 80% of the time, that's a program I really enjoyed.
00:29:03.280 --> 00:29:05.930
I think I I love this swap shops.
00:29:06.860 --> 00:29:07.130
Umm.
00:29:05.940 --> 00:29:08.290
Any kind of transfer station swap shop program.
00:29:08.300 --> 00:29:11.370
I just think those are fantastic. Umm.
00:29:11.010 --> 00:29:18.260
And and and even though I'm the organic sky, I absolutely love the lending library.
00:29:18.270 --> 00:29:20.020
But I also love the repair clinics.
00:29:24.900 --> 00:29:25.280
Mm-hmm.
00:29:20.030 --> 00:29:34.600
Where you have retired members of the Community that are mechanically inclined and on a Saturday they go to the transfer station, people bring in junk equipment and they teach them how to fix it and they turn it back into usable stuff and they leave with a working piece of equipment.
00:29:34.950 --> 00:29:36.530
That's really cool stuff.
00:29:36.540 --> 00:29:41.380
That's people working together and that's people reusing things before they throw them out.
00:29:41.770 --> 00:29:42.600
So awesome.
00:29:42.520 --> 00:29:43.060
Very good.
00:29:42.610 --> 00:29:45.800
OK, so so is someone gonna submit a question?
00:29:45.800 --> 00:29:46.110
Yeah.
00:29:46.120 --> 00:29:49.070
They they asked about getting a bailer and that is absolutely eligible.
00:29:48.890 --> 00:29:50.380
Yep, big time.
00:29:50.390 --> 00:29:50.920
Big time.
00:29:51.250 --> 00:29:52.140
Yep, Yep.
00:29:49.080 --> 00:29:52.380
We funded a couple projects for Bailers, yeah.
00:29:52.510 --> 00:30:03.080
And and as I said, the another big one that's just come into view is is glass crushers and creating like sand and things like that and you know so.
00:30:03.090 --> 00:30:05.320
So there's all kinds of projects that are really out there.
00:30:05.370 --> 00:30:05.920
There.
00:30:07.140 --> 00:30:15.510
I can tell you that since the history of the waste of urgent grant program, 80% of the applicants that have won awards have been organics.
00:30:15.860 --> 00:30:20.030
But that's not because there weren't great other ones.
00:30:20.040 --> 00:30:23.170
It's just that that each cycle that tends to dominate.
00:30:23.400 --> 00:30:31.330
But we've also had some really incredible swap shops, some incredible repair clinics and the lending libraries are awesome.
00:30:39.120 --> 00:30:40.200
Yeah, they formed a Co-op.
00:30:31.540 --> 00:30:40.580
Allagash Brewery did a really nice recycling proposal that was really cool, bringing community members in, so there's a lot of awesome stuff out there.
00:30:40.830 --> 00:30:41.580
Yeah, awesome.
00:30:41.210 --> 00:30:46.880
Yeah, the allegation is another really great one because they're they have a coop and they have they have Fridays open.
00:30:46.890 --> 00:30:50.710
So people from the community can bring stuff in and are also working with other breweries to recycle.
00:30:51.760 --> 00:30:54.590
Kind of like supply chain materials that wouldn't normally get recycled.
00:30:54.860 --> 00:31:04.030
Another project that was really great was the one at Naswa and Arista County and they because you mentioned in class they got containers to store glass.
00:31:04.120 --> 00:31:11.080
So they could actually start recycling the non bottled build glass and that was another really good project I will say with the glass sand.
00:31:11.090 --> 00:31:17.290
Just make sure you have a place to use the glass sand afterward, because you're going to be if you end up making a ton of it.
00:31:17.560 --> 00:31:29.530
You just want to have uses for it like through public works or something cuz that is an issue that has cropped up with some of the glass crashing in the past is that you might have too much of it on your hands.
00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:32.200
Ohm Laura had a comment.
00:31:32.890 --> 00:31:33.060
Yeah.
00:31:33.070 --> 00:31:34.890
Yep, said said that Baylor donated.
00:31:37.570 --> 00:32:10.590
And then of course we we funded many compost facility startups and there is a provision in the the rules, the the solid waste management rules for composting Chapter 410 that allows you to compost up to 5 cubic yards per month without a DPP permit and another provision in the solid waste rules allows you to set up food collection areas and all you have to do is just submit a registration form with no cost to let people know where they are and they can then pick them up.
00:32:10.600 --> 00:32:12.960
So those are all really good things.
00:32:14.340 --> 00:32:14.920
He barks.
00:32:14.930 --> 00:32:20.810
So Laura's question was they have a Baylor, that Baylor, that they were donated is in parts and hasn't been assembled.
00:32:21.020 --> 00:32:27.970
So she's wondering if assembling and testing the Baylor to determine if it actually functions would be eligible for the grant program.
00:32:28.810 --> 00:32:29.760
Absolutely.
00:32:29.770 --> 00:32:30.420
And I would.
00:32:30.430 --> 00:32:42.220
I would hope that as you apply for that that you would also look at the bigger picture of what it will do once it's working and and make it all part of the application process.
00:32:43.030 --> 00:32:43.740
You know what I mean?
00:32:43.750 --> 00:32:47.420
It's like we've had people say, well, we want to set up a school compost operation.
00:32:47.890 --> 00:33:01.140
We actually are lowest one we've ever paid $345.00 was a community garden in South Paris that said they wanted to just set up some composting of the vegetative material that's generated after they weed out their gardens and things.
00:33:01.380 --> 00:33:06.180
And it's a it's a garden that is seen by people from all over the world.
00:33:06.630 --> 00:33:11.380
And for $347, they wanted to buy like 3 or 4 compost units.
00:33:11.650 --> 00:33:21.400
I mean, that's the kind of stuff that we as a group we look at that proposal and we immediately like how can you say no, you know, I mean of of the impact for that little bit of money.
00:33:21.410 --> 00:33:32.710
So we are human and we do love a great story and if we can see how your project is gonna benefit many food pantries, things like that, they haven't applied.
00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:34.620
Food pantries are super eligible.
00:33:34.900 --> 00:33:37.070
That's another one that's near and dear to my heart.
00:33:37.080 --> 00:33:42.420
So I think that you just need to think about a project that you'd like to do.
00:33:42.600 --> 00:33:49.700
Think about the impact that it could have and then ask about the nuts and bolts of it in your proposal and and.
00:33:49.590 --> 00:33:51.680
Right, refrigerated storage for food.
00:33:51.690 --> 00:33:52.700
I think that would be.
00:33:54.450 --> 00:33:55.010
Yep, Yep.
00:33:52.760 --> 00:33:55.560
That's been something's been talked about as a need to rescue more food.
00:33:55.570 --> 00:34:01.480
That would definitely be a great thing that would love to to see applications for more food.
00:34:00.710 --> 00:34:01.530
Absolutely.
00:34:01.490 --> 00:34:01.990
Rest there.
00:34:03.590 --> 00:34:04.040
So really.
00:34:07.150 --> 00:34:07.770
Yep, Yep.
00:34:03.650 --> 00:34:09.030
I've also seen some community refrigerator projects not in Maine, but I've seen presentations about community refrigerator projects.
00:34:09.040 --> 00:34:10.960
It's another great, great option.
00:34:11.750 --> 00:34:22.940
Well, one of the coolest things that I've seen in recent years is I went to the the town at Cornville to one of their schools and they actually had a refrigerator in the center where all the kids hang out.
00:34:23.130 --> 00:34:31.660
And if you were in the cafeteria and you had your meal and you didn't drink your milk or you didn't eat this or that, you can put it in that refrigerator.
00:34:31.670 --> 00:34:42.790
And it was a common share refrigerator that anybody could take stuff from it anytime during the day or if they were going home and they were food insecure and they didn't want people to see them.
00:34:42.800 --> 00:34:57.890
They could wait till the end of school, fill up their backpack and go and Speaking of backpacks, the backpack program where where kids that that are food insecure, they're identified, but they're not labeled, they're not called out and a backpack is ready for them full of food.
00:34:58.180 --> 00:35:03.400
That project is awesome, and getting that instituted throughout the state absolutely cool.
00:35:08.650 --> 00:35:10.780
We want to give money away and we wanna.
00:35:10.790 --> 00:35:13.640
We wanna make these projects really help the state of Maine.
00:35:13.650 --> 00:35:14.630
That's our two goals.
00:35:19.620 --> 00:35:21.110
Just I think, OK.
00:35:19.450 --> 00:35:21.220
I made Ellen and presenter, yes.
00:35:25.210 --> 00:35:29.560
So Ellen just unmute yourself and then we'll be able to hear you.
00:35:40.890 --> 00:35:42.840
Ellen Poe from Southwest harbor.
00:35:43.150 --> 00:35:58.770
I'm wondering if you have any wisdom for towns that are part of MRC and looking forward to the Hamden plant coming online with their diversion technologies.
00:35:59.960 --> 00:36:03.070
And as you know, we cannot divert organic waste.
00:36:03.610 --> 00:36:09.530
So it's kind of a large question, but there are 115 towns of as you know.
00:36:10.010 --> 00:36:17.430
So any thoughts that you could share would be helpful for us to craft our best proposal. Thanks.
00:36:16.710 --> 00:36:32.960
I can tell you that I actually have worked with the MRC in schools doing doing school operations, school compost setups where they're concerned without getting too far out on a limb, which I've been known to do.
00:36:33.330 --> 00:36:42.930
They're concerned with large scale amounts of organics taking away from a guaranteed annual tonnage that they that they have promised to the facility.
00:36:44.200 --> 00:36:52.230
But I understand that that is also residential municipal type material.
00:36:52.740 --> 00:36:56.790
So I do not know if that impacts commercial as well.
00:36:57.350 --> 00:37:06.320
So I'll just say that as a question mark, there's a guy in Hamden who's starting a compost called Earth first or First Earth.
00:37:08.780 --> 00:37:09.030
Uh-huh.
00:37:06.330 --> 00:37:14.790
Either it's one way or the other, and he's actually reaching out to businesses in the Hamden area, so I'm not trying to stir anything up.
00:37:14.880 --> 00:37:24.390
I can just tell you that they have given me permission over time to work with schools, and I actually did, an MRC supported school compost operation so.
00:37:27.540 --> 00:37:27.990
Thank you.
00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:28.860
I appreciate your thoughts.
00:37:29.600 --> 00:37:30.390
Absolutely.
00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:31.350
I can't go any further.
00:37:45.460 --> 00:37:54.240
How would we if if I wanted to just gauge this audience about how many would propose an organics program and how many would propose something else?
00:37:54.440 --> 00:37:56.530
How could we do that and see it on here?
00:37:56.820 --> 00:37:57.150
Do you know?
00:37:59.920 --> 00:38:01.420
Just have everybody put it in the chat.
00:38:01.430 --> 00:38:01.990
What they would do?
00:38:03.790 --> 00:38:05.830
Yeah, you could go about it that way.
00:38:05.920 --> 00:38:13.570
Or if you can get a good read on reactions, you could just ask them to give you a thumbs up.
00:38:18.170 --> 00:38:18.860
OK.
00:38:13.580 --> 00:38:19.810
But I think the chat would be the best way to get that information.
00:38:18.930 --> 00:38:20.080
I I'm just always it.
00:38:20.470 --> 00:38:35.760
I'm always interested in what you folks are thinking and so if you don't mind, just type in the chat organics, recycling, repair, reuse, whatever you think you might like to do, because that gives us an idea of kind of what the interest is out there.
00:38:38.310 --> 00:38:38.750
Umm.
00:38:35.770 --> 00:38:39.210
And Megan and I are always looking to see what that looks like.
00:38:39.730 --> 00:38:40.230
All right, cool.
00:38:41.090 --> 00:38:47.230
And I would just suggest if you do organics, if you could specify if you want to do food rescue or if you want to do composting.
00:38:49.820 --> 00:38:50.570
Or both.
00:38:50.660 --> 00:38:51.360
Both is better.
00:38:48.470 --> 00:38:58.080
Or both because there are groups that have applied for the food collection and then to to compost it at the transfer station, which is totally cool.
00:38:58.620 --> 00:39:01.870
So looks like Recycling's winning Megan.
00:39:02.730 --> 00:39:03.050
OK.
00:39:02.940 --> 00:39:03.440
So far.
00:39:16.070 --> 00:39:17.370
Wow, that's awesome.
00:39:19.740 --> 00:39:22.960
Oh, Mark, did you see Laura's comment about limited space for composting?
00:39:21.710 --> 00:39:23.950
I Laura.
00:39:23.960 --> 00:39:27.810
Laura, let me tell you what that is true, but it's not true.
00:39:28.220 --> 00:39:47.150
I I'm actually I've worked with the island of Vinyl Haven and what we have done is we've taken used toters the ones that they put the salmon in the the 1 cubic yard insulated toters and we've actually put PVC piping in the bottom with holes drilled in it.
00:39:47.400 --> 00:40:03.590
And then we have the pipe come out of the back of that and it attaches to a blower and they've created aerated composting bins that they use on the island to compost their food scraps, along with carbon from the storm debris that falls down.
00:40:03.600 --> 00:40:06.360
They have that ground up and it turns it into carbon.
00:40:06.680 --> 00:40:13.820
So being an island community means you do things a little differently, but you still have the same capabilities.
00:40:33.790 --> 00:40:34.010
There.
00:40:33.710 --> 00:40:34.020
Umm.
00:40:34.070 --> 00:40:34.970
Laura asked if there was.
00:40:35.750 --> 00:40:36.360
Yeah.
00:40:36.370 --> 00:40:39.080
So I saw the the answer is there is not.
00:40:39.350 --> 00:40:50.720
I believe that I actually have a PowerPoint slide I put together of the whole operation, so if you wanna shoot me an email I can, I can.
00:40:50.760 --> 00:40:52.420
I'll send you that PowerPoint slide.
00:40:52.430 --> 00:40:53.680
It's it's pretty cute.
00:40:53.690 --> 00:41:08.660
It's actually the lady whose husband designed it actually has three bins connected by one PVC pipe in the back, and there's little twists on it that shut off each one to allow the most air flow to go through.
00:41:08.670 --> 00:41:15.280
Just one of them and the blower is actually on a solar panel timer and it's just.
00:41:15.290 --> 00:41:23.480
It's a really cool operation and island communities, especially Coastal Island communities, have lots of these toasters kicking around.
00:41:23.680 --> 00:41:26.870
Some are in bad shape that just need a little time to put back together.
00:41:27.980 --> 00:41:28.920
Spent oil from.
00:41:31.380 --> 00:41:31.730
What's?
00:41:31.740 --> 00:41:32.520
What's that question?
00:41:32.530 --> 00:41:33.590
You read that one, Jessica.
00:41:33.920 --> 00:41:34.140
Umm.
00:41:33.600 --> 00:41:34.530
The spent oil.
00:41:36.420 --> 00:41:36.940
Go ahead, Megan.
00:41:38.690 --> 00:41:46.100
So they're wondering about collecting spent oil from the public and using it in a waste oil burner for their water treatment plant.
00:41:47.290 --> 00:41:50.220
I think that's awesome that that's that's A and.
00:41:50.230 --> 00:41:54.460
And so the idea would be, are you looking to set up a collection system?
00:41:54.470 --> 00:41:56.780
Are you looking to purchase a waste oil burner?
00:41:57.210 --> 00:42:04.750
What do you look cause cause that's actually taking waste oil and using it in that manner is very much in tune with the waste of urging grant.
00:42:10.830 --> 00:42:12.180
I think she's typing an answer.
00:42:12.890 --> 00:42:13.350
OK, cool.
00:42:21.040 --> 00:42:21.520
Purchases.
00:42:23.970 --> 00:42:24.230
OK.
00:42:20.980 --> 00:42:26.810
They would be looking to purchase a scrubber for the burner and a collection they would be doing a collection system and purchasing this forever.
00:42:28.180 --> 00:42:29.560
Are there any of the burner?
00:42:29.570 --> 00:42:29.900
Yeah.
00:42:29.910 --> 00:42:31.650
So they're just be mitigating emissions.
00:42:27.650 --> 00:42:32.750
I I think, yeah, I mean, do you agree?
00:42:34.370 --> 00:42:36.520
Yeah, I think I think that would be eligible.
00:42:37.030 --> 00:42:38.240
Yep, absolutely.
00:42:38.950 --> 00:42:49.780
And just remember I'm I'm saying yes to a whole bunch of stuff, but as the applications come in, I have a team of three of us who all really love everything.
00:42:50.170 --> 00:42:53.440
And then when we get together, we we may score some really high scores.
00:42:53.890 --> 00:42:57.810
And the problem is that we may score more than we have money now.
00:42:57.820 --> 00:43:05.560
That's not necessarily a bad thing, because sometimes if we have more good projects then we have money available.
00:43:05.730 --> 00:43:09.770
I can go to management and try to get a little bit more money added to the tail.
00:43:10.360 --> 00:43:16.200
So and then otherwise, if something happens where we can't do that, then we have to make hard decisions.
00:43:17.250 --> 00:43:24.150
But in most times we have not ever had a situation where we couldn't fund the ones that we had selected.
00:43:27.120 --> 00:43:30.810
I think the most we ever gave was 212,000.
00:43:30.820 --> 00:43:34.480
Maybe in one round somewhere that, yeah.
00:43:33.040 --> 00:43:35.110
Sounds about right, something right?
00:43:35.120 --> 00:43:36.380
Just over 200,000.
00:43:45.470 --> 00:43:46.660
So any other thoughts?
00:43:48.450 --> 00:44:37.210
I I I had the pleasant river person with Sugarloaf on and I have been working with bee from Sugarloaf on setting up a series of 30 cubic yard roll off containers that can be used as compost bins where you put horse manure and food scraps in and then you generate compost from the product the the roll off can be picked up with a truck and moved anywhere you want and one of the neat things is this morning I had a phone call from the Superintendent of the Golf Club up there asking me for any places where he could find compost locally as the cation exchange capacity of his soil is at an all time low and it's not able to hold on to nutrients to let the grass grow as pretty as it should.
00:44:37.690 --> 00:44:46.250
So I mentioned to him a whole bunch of places, and then I also talked about this waste of version grant and some of the synergy that's happened on the mountain already.
00:44:46.440 --> 00:44:52.550
So it sounds like maybe the four of you ought to get together and come up with a project that might be possible for us to look at.
00:44:58.440 --> 00:44:59.550
Yeah, that would be.
00:44:59.680 --> 00:45:00.650
That would be wonderful.
00:45:00.760 --> 00:45:07.000
Uh, B actually has transitioned in her role at Sugarloaf, and her replacement is on the call.
00:45:07.930 --> 00:45:08.540
And, oh, sweet.
00:45:08.550 --> 00:45:08.860
OK.
00:45:07.060 --> 00:45:09.520
Heidi. Yeah.
00:45:08.870 --> 00:45:11.820
Well, well, I'll have to come up and visit you guys.
00:45:12.150 --> 00:45:18.780
I so let you know I was actually part of the original compost facility that was built by Kimberly Truskowski.
00:45:19.110 --> 00:45:28.040
She was one of the first students at my compost school when we had it at the widow farm up at Orono, so she was a graduate for the main compose school, very first class.
00:45:33.780 --> 00:45:35.650
So we have all the experts to tap into.
00:45:36.430 --> 00:45:36.760
Uh.
00:45:36.770 --> 00:45:38.280
She she's awesome and she's still around.
00:45:42.720 --> 00:45:44.210
I'm not sure though.
00:45:44.690 --> 00:45:45.880
Yes, from Heidi, there we go.
00:45:46.120 --> 00:45:50.780
Awesome, because she got busted up in a mountain bike accident and I was hoping that she was OK.
00:45:59.550 --> 00:45:59.880
All right.
00:45:59.890 --> 00:46:00.360
Awesome.
00:46:00.470 --> 00:46:01.420
That's that's good to hear.
00:46:01.430 --> 00:46:02.320
I was there the other day.
00:46:02.330 --> 00:46:17.950
I I took several people from the department that are new on a tour and and just showed up some couple sites and we checked out the Earth earth tubs and I could see that one is broken and one looks like it's not to be added to but the other one was doing really well so.
00:46:22.300 --> 00:46:28.660
To any other questions, I feel I feel like I just had this meeting without Jessica.
00:46:28.670 --> 00:46:29.650
A few minutes ago so.
00:46:36.930 --> 00:46:37.250
How many?
00:46:36.860 --> 00:46:41.580
I think opening opening up the chat really helped to get some more dialogue and.
00:46:41.890 --> 00:46:42.250
We're good.
00:46:42.260 --> 00:46:42.400
We're.
00:46:42.410 --> 00:46:51.840
Let's ask this how many people on this call that are left are are gonna submit an application or are are seriously considering submitting an application?
00:46:53.790 --> 00:46:54.200
OK.
00:46:54.210 --> 00:46:54.900
Eastport, yes.
00:46:54.910 --> 00:46:55.070
Cool.
00:46:55.790 --> 00:46:56.010
OK.
00:46:56.990 --> 00:46:57.280
Uh.
00:46:57.290 --> 00:46:59.300
George Kemper just put his hand up her carper.
00:46:59.310 --> 00:46:59.640
I'm sorry.
00:47:00.320 --> 00:47:00.980
I'll go grab a.
00:47:01.630 --> 00:47:02.000
OK.
00:47:02.610 --> 00:47:03.150
All right, good.
00:47:08.800 --> 00:47:09.410
All right, awesome.
00:47:11.450 --> 00:47:13.140
The words you could speak to us when you're ready.
00:47:17.500 --> 00:47:17.830
I'm.
00:47:18.180 --> 00:47:18.710
I'm sorry.
00:47:18.720 --> 00:47:19.400
Can you hear me now?
00:47:20.150 --> 00:47:20.550
Yes, Sir.
00:47:21.050 --> 00:47:26.960
Yeah, we're probably gonna submit an an application right now.
00:47:26.970 --> 00:47:43.440
The only thing we do is some compost thing with an outside agency, but we used to go in with Belfast and recycle a lot of cardboard and and whatever tin cans and stuff.
00:47:44.150 --> 00:47:46.020
But that's falling through.
00:47:46.030 --> 00:48:02.700
So right now we're looking at getting another, uh, compactor a second compactor for all recyclables, and then sending that down to Eco main and have them, you know, go through the recycling on that.
00:48:04.290 --> 00:48:10.240
But it wouldn't cost if we just put a a bucket up there to receive the recyclables.
00:48:10.390 --> 00:48:16.450
It would cost us too much to actually send it down there, so that's why we're looking for a compactor.
00:48:17.030 --> 00:48:25.010
Uh to do the to do the work for us and compact it and then send it down to eco main for a recycling.
00:48:25.950 --> 00:48:40.710
OK, so this relationship with Belfast that that went S is there any chance that you could talk with them about some potential collaborative activities between your group that we could fund with the waste of version grant?
00:48:42.420 --> 00:48:45.290
Yeah, there's a the chance we can talk with them.
00:48:45.300 --> 00:48:48.480
Uh, I doubt it'll it'll raise anything.
00:48:48.490 --> 00:49:07.820
We had problems with Belfast and the schools and once there was a a school that took care of both Sears port and stocked and in Belfast and and that kind of fell through, sometimes they just don't wanna listen or or talk to us unfortunately.
00:49:08.890 --> 00:49:09.260
Yeah.
00:49:09.270 --> 00:49:15.070
The whole consolidation of school districts definitely made some bad blood, and in a lot of ways.
00:49:16.040 --> 00:49:38.550
Umm well if if I can help with that relationship, especially if you're interested in any organics collection or composting, I wouldn't mind coming down and and kind of talking to the groups to see if there's any commonality that we can kind of work with that's kind of what I do for my job is setting up community based composting and food collection and diversion.
00:49:38.980 --> 00:49:43.870
So just keep me in mind if you feel there's an opportunity I can come down and help out.
00:49:44.930 --> 00:49:46.700
No, I really appreciate that.
00:49:46.710 --> 00:49:49.270
Yeah, I will definitely do that.
00:49:48.470 --> 00:49:54.500
I wonder when should one other thing for the recycling to the compactor?
00:49:54.660 --> 00:50:11.200
You mentioned that being less expensive than putting up a large container for single stream that doesn't compact, but the other option would be if you could get just gaylords to start your transfer station and collect source separated materials like just just number one, cardboard #2.
00:50:11.520 --> 00:50:26.220
Some of the things that you might be able to or #2 plastic, cardboard, paper, the things that you might be able to to broker directly, that could be another, cheaper way to be able to offer some recycling and probably significantly less cost.
00:50:26.230 --> 00:50:27.160
But just something to think about.
00:50:27.870 --> 00:50:29.580
Yeah, that's that's a good point.
00:50:29.990 --> 00:50:41.990
Eco Main does at the end of the year figure out how I guess how much they made and and they do kick that back to to the the municipalities that they serve.
00:50:42.750 --> 00:50:59.070
Uh, I think it amounted to costing no 30 some dollars a ton at the end of the year as opposed to a perk which was, which was 86 or something like that at time.
00:50:59.960 --> 00:51:01.110
That's very good, yeah.
00:51:01.980 --> 00:51:02.510
Yeah.
00:51:02.320 --> 00:51:02.820
That is.
00:51:02.520 --> 00:51:14.000
So that's why we thought, you know, going with Eco main and they would take care of all the contacting outside agencies, you know, to to recycle what they had.
00:51:15.020 --> 00:51:15.330
Umm.
00:51:15.030 --> 00:51:21.620
Uh, the only problem was there in Portland and we have to move the the merchandise to to Portland.
00:51:21.970 --> 00:51:24.580
And like I said, an open container.
00:51:25.130 --> 00:51:49.770
You know it, it just isn't worthwhile and and to have somebody to put on an extra help to, to try and get someone to go out and figure out where we're gonna send different items like the cardboard and all ohm starts to get pretty expensive because you're now you're paying another employee umm, but that that's just thought.
00:51:51.530 --> 00:52:05.420
The other thing too is this past Brown, we actually had the town of Montville who had lost their recycling transport system and and they wanted to continue with the recycling program.
00:52:05.430 --> 00:52:12.380
They actually applied for a truck and we helped supply the funds to help them purchase a truck.
00:52:12.490 --> 00:52:15.870
So they could continue with their recycling efforts so.
00:52:15.420 --> 00:52:16.390
Yeah, I saw.
00:52:16.460 --> 00:52:17.220
I saw that.
00:52:18.970 --> 00:52:19.100
And.
00:52:17.230 --> 00:52:20.150
Yeah, yeah, I looked at some of your past.
00:52:20.160 --> 00:52:20.830
You're right.
00:52:21.060 --> 00:52:29.560
Look at some of your past the people that have, you know, addressed this or filed for an RFP.
00:52:30.230 --> 00:52:30.510
Uh.
00:52:38.700 --> 00:52:38.820
Yes.
00:52:30.790 --> 00:52:39.100
In fact, we were talking to Scrap Dog, which you gave not you, but I mean which should the state gave some money for composting.
00:52:40.790 --> 00:52:42.060
Several times.
00:52:39.780 --> 00:52:42.110
Uh, in about 2 years ago.
00:52:42.530 --> 00:52:43.170
Yeah, Dwight.
00:52:42.620 --> 00:52:48.230
Yeah, except the problem with them is they didn't wanna come this far north.
00:52:48.980 --> 00:52:53.050
Umm, so we're looking at another outfit, chickadee.
00:52:53.060 --> 00:52:53.640
Compost.
00:52:54.770 --> 00:52:56.590
No, no.
00:52:56.600 --> 00:52:56.970
Did you?
00:52:54.090 --> 00:52:57.660
Yep, we gave them a grant as well. Set.
00:52:58.800 --> 00:52:59.380
Yep, Yep.
00:52:57.040 --> 00:53:11.570
I I didn't see that one, but yeah, we're talking to her and and she's willing to put some containers at her transfer station and and then I think when we get like a containers fill, she'll she'll pick them up.
00:53:11.870 --> 00:53:16.570
But yeah, to get to get that food scrap, that's unbelievable.
00:53:16.580 --> 00:53:21.910
The amount of weight that, that, that is the food scrapped in, you know.
00:53:23.240 --> 00:53:23.530
That.
00:53:23.020 --> 00:53:32.130
So if we can get that out as a start and and then go with the eco main, you know we'll we'll be doing a lot.
00:53:32.220 --> 00:53:37.540
And then I think down the road, maybe we can get some swap shops open.
00:53:37.550 --> 00:53:39.100
You know, it's a transfer station.
00:53:39.810 --> 00:53:51.360
Uh, but I'd like to get rid of the food scraps first and and we're in talk with like I say with with her and then and then the other compostable things.
00:53:52.310 --> 00:54:01.230
And I'm sure like everybody else, we're getting a lot of Amazon boxes more so, you know, since the pandemic.
00:54:01.240 --> 00:54:05.400
More so than than a lot of other things, really.
00:54:06.110 --> 00:54:12.090
And that's really clogging up the the compactor as far as sending stuff to perk and all.
00:54:13.320 --> 00:54:14.390
Well, absolutely.
00:54:25.590 --> 00:54:25.820
Umm.
00:54:14.400 --> 00:54:28.410
And and just so you know, a first Earth in Hamden, his wife works on Blue Hill for Maine, a northern Maine light, and and he is partnering with Chickadee.
00:54:29.590 --> 00:54:30.100
Ohh.
00:54:29.350 --> 00:54:37.020
So I suspect that maybe when he comes down through the back way to go to chickadee, he's probably going right by you to pick up stuff.
00:54:38.040 --> 00:54:38.240
Yeah.
00:54:37.470 --> 00:54:38.990
So he's probably your pickup service.
00:54:39.780 --> 00:54:41.830
Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea.
00:54:52.860 --> 00:54:53.650
There will be great.
00:54:53.660 --> 00:54:54.270
She would love that.
00:54:41.840 --> 00:54:54.790
We were thinking too of, you know, be advantageous for us to to run a truck over to Blue Hill and Chickadee, actually, yeah.
00:54:54.960 --> 00:54:55.730
Yeah.
00:54:55.790 --> 00:54:58.700
So we're we're trying to get that straightened out.
00:54:58.710 --> 00:55:18.020
And then, like I say, the next step would be a compactor free domain and and that's probably what we're gonna put an RFP in for this year is for that compactor uh, we'd have to run a new new wiring for a second compactor up at the transfer station.
00:55:18.650 --> 00:55:19.260
Uh.
00:55:19.310 --> 00:55:25.350
And move the fence a little bit to to make room for that second compactor unit.
00:55:26.210 --> 00:55:27.740
Uh, but that's that.
00:55:27.790 --> 00:55:33.230
That's what the recycle Committee uh is is planning to do right now.
00:55:35.870 --> 00:55:36.560
Interesting.
00:55:36.930 --> 00:55:46.820
It sounds like you got a lot of projects and just the movement of food is so important because collecting food is a piece of cake.
00:55:46.900 --> 00:55:49.130
Composting food is a piece of cake.
00:55:53.820 --> 00:55:54.060
Yeah.
00:55:49.180 --> 00:56:11.760
Getting it from point A to point B is the biggest killer of the whole process and and so if you can come up with an economic way to transport that, that's interesting too, because those kind of things help us help other parts of the state when the infrastructure is so far away to come up with options in order to get there cheaply and with the least amount of emissions possible.
00:56:13.320 --> 00:56:15.310
Yeah, that that's great. If that.
00:56:15.380 --> 00:56:22.080
Yeah, the the yeah, people from Hamden coming down that that's a good idea.
00:56:25.540 --> 00:56:25.950
Yeah.
00:56:22.090 --> 00:56:26.780
Yeah, we'll have to talk to chickadee about that too. Excellent.
00:56:26.000 --> 00:56:29.960
Well, I I suspect that's part of her idea is that he just does it on the way through.
00:56:30.530 --> 00:56:31.180
Yeah.
00:56:31.230 --> 00:56:32.340
Excellent idea.
00:56:32.400 --> 00:56:32.790
Thank you.
00:56:33.440 --> 00:56:33.760
Yes, Sir.
00:56:39.900 --> 00:56:40.060
No.
00:56:40.060 --> 00:56:43.550
So what was the final tally of people that that might submit an application?
00:56:43.940 --> 00:56:45.620
Was it was it quite prolific?
00:56:48.520 --> 00:56:51.600
Think it's at least 41234.
00:56:52.090 --> 00:56:52.370
OK.
00:56:56.670 --> 00:57:15.020
Well, we're looking forward to this round because our team is really figured it out and the last round we had everything done within like 3 months, whereas the first time we took this over, it took us almost seven months to get a decision and and people were very concerned.
00:57:15.490 --> 00:57:17.690
So we we've definitely streamlined the process.
00:57:18.840 --> 00:57:19.070
No.
00:57:28.510 --> 00:57:29.020
All right.
00:57:29.030 --> 00:57:29.340
Any.
00:57:29.950 --> 00:57:30.450
Last call.
00:57:29.350 --> 00:57:30.770
Any other thoughts?
00:57:30.990 --> 00:57:35.190
Yeah, we probably ought to because we've we've been trying to pull pull things out of people.
00:57:37.850 --> 00:57:54.980
I appreciate everybody coming and and I I guess I'd ask you if you think this was valuable and we should do it more, just just notify that us in the chat cause the feedback would be really helpful if if this was a waste of your time, let me know that too, because I'm just trying to find ways to reach out to people.
00:58:00.360 --> 00:58:03.680
Looks like we have some positive feedback, yeah.
00:58:03.590 --> 00:58:03.740
No.
00:58:05.610 --> 00:58:07.820
I mean we we do this because we love it.
00:58:08.550 --> 00:58:08.880
Umm.
00:58:07.870 --> 00:58:10.580
I mean, this is a good part of our job there.
00:58:10.590 --> 00:58:15.240
There are lots of parts of our job that aren't necessarily awesome, but this is an awesome one so.
00:58:15.440 --> 00:58:18.080
Definitely agree this is such a great project.
00:58:19.350 --> 00:58:19.710
Umm.
00:58:28.940 --> 00:58:30.640
Alright, just do you want to tell them?
00:58:30.650 --> 00:58:32.720
Sort of, when they might expect the.
00:58:34.190 --> 00:58:37.380
Recording and transcription will be done and those kind of things.
00:58:38.050 --> 00:58:38.400
Yeah.
00:58:38.410 --> 00:58:45.540
Turn around is no no more than two weeks and I'm assuming that we're gonna have a link.
00:58:47.230 --> 00:58:54.660
Are you gonna make kind of like a folder of information in which you'll include this recording and the transcription?
00:58:54.670 --> 00:58:58.310
Are you planning to have a link available on the programs website?
00:59:01.790 --> 00:59:02.030
OK.
00:59:07.020 --> 00:59:07.220
Cool.
00:58:59.690 --> 00:59:11.850
I'm gonna have it on the program's website and the RFP press release when David sends it out, I'm gonna embed that in there and I'm going to check with purchases to see if I can embed it in the RFP.
00:59:12.120 --> 00:59:15.810
But they're very specific about stuff and and that's the other thing.
00:59:15.820 --> 00:59:39.050
The reason why we have all these wonky rules that I can't talk to you at any time after you submit things and the written comment period is done, it's because purchases has dealt with so many RFP and and other bid processes all these years and there's just so many places where things go awry and there's a party that gets impacted that results in lots of conflict.
00:59:47.270 --> 00:59:47.420
OK.
00:59:39.420 --> 00:59:48.410
So they have very, very strict provisions on what they do so that we do not have any appeals at the end of the process that everybody feels well served.
00:59:48.620 --> 00:59:55.940
So that's why we wanted to do this so that we could give people a chance to kind of just get all their anxious questions out of the way and go from there.
00:59:57.120 --> 00:59:57.310
Cool.
01:00:02.490 --> 01:00:03.420
OK, I dropped.
01:00:02.580 --> 01:00:04.350
All right, I get so good.
01:00:03.670 --> 01:00:05.550
I dropped a link to the website.
01:00:05.810 --> 01:00:06.170
Oh, cool.
01:00:05.910 --> 01:00:10.680
The programs web page, I think that's I got the right one.
01:00:20.800 --> 01:00:22.080
Oh, that's on the purchases.
01:00:24.750 --> 01:00:25.070
OK.
01:00:22.140 --> 01:00:26.960
But so that's on the actual RFP, but it's the purchases website where they keep all those stored.
01:00:27.930 --> 01:00:29.630
And it is linked to from that.
01:00:27.590 --> 01:00:30.420
OK, so I didn't share that link. Ohh.
01:00:30.110 --> 01:00:31.140
It is linked from that page.
01:00:30.070 --> 01:00:32.230
Yeah, that link is is within the.
01:00:33.680 --> 01:00:35.340
On the on the waste divergent page.
01:00:33.720 --> 01:00:36.410
OK, OK, cool.
01:00:37.840 --> 01:00:38.980
So they'll find it all there.
01:00:39.570 --> 01:00:39.770
Yeah.
01:00:40.840 --> 01:00:41.360
All right.
01:00:42.240 --> 01:00:43.690
OK, I'll stop the recording now.
01:00:44.500 --> 01:00:45.010
OK.
01:00:45.630 --> 01:00:45.880
Right.
01:00:45.070 --> 01:00:48.050
I guess at this stage we we shall bid you all ADO.
01:00:48.420 --> 01:01:01.610
Thanks for coming and we will probably be doing this again in the spring and in that way we're going to do 2 rounds a year, spring fall and hopefully we'll see you in this round and if not, we'll see you in the spring.
01:01:03.000 --> 01:01:05.550
So all right, awesome.