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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1993 0203 CC REG ITEM 08FAGENDA REPORT TO: The Honorable City Council FROM: Jill H. Rubin, Management Analyst JP_ y/ <i • I ITEM, of 199.3 DATE: January 27, 1993 (CC Meeting of February 3, 1993) SUBJECT: CONSIDER SUPPORT FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE VENTURA COUNTY RECYCLING MARKET DEVELOPMENT ZONES (RMDZ) SUMMARY Ventura County Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) staff is requesting the California Integrated Waste Management Board ( CIWMB) to expand the Recycling Market Development Zones (RMDZ) to allow other cities in Ventura County to participate. RMDZs are designed to encourage siting of businesses that use recycled materials or manufacture recycled products. The State currently has $10 million available in loan moneys to the upcoming designated zones. These funds will be provided as low interest loans to businesses that would want to locate in the zone, or to existing businesses that want to retrofit equipment to use recycled feedstock. Cities do not have to offer any incentives and will not invest any money in the program, although city recycling staff would be required to spend time on zone issues within their jurisdiction. The County will be the coordinating entity and has hired an Economic Development Specialist to assist businesses with the application process. The Ventura County Solid Waste Management Department (VCSWMD) recently contacted the non RMDZ cities, requesting that they submit a letter of intent for joining the RMDZ, should the CIWMB approve the expansion. Because the CIWMB requires a CEQA statement for the existing RMDZ application for the three current Zones (Simi Valley, Camarillo, and Oxnard), the current application package is yet to be completed. Since the RMDZ application is not complete and the County SWMD staff included expansion language in the original RMDZ application, County SWMD staff is pursuing the opportunity for a zone expansion to include the entire county of Ventura. Once the expansion is approved, all a city will need to do is file a CEQA environmental statement stating that the Zone program will or will not cause significant impacts to their respective Zone designations. Although each jurisdiction may require the individual business to conduct an environmental review, the CEQA environmental statement needed from each city for inclusion in the Zone will Recycling Market Development Zone Expansion January 27, 1993 Page 2 address the impacts of designating the Zone, not for the proposed businesses to be located in the Zone. Once the current Zone application is complete, and the expansion is granted, cities not included in the current application will have to file a separate RMDZ designation application, including CEQA documentation with the CIWMB. On February 4, 1993, VCSWMD Staff will appear before the CIWMB to request the expansion of the RMDZ to include all of commercial zones in Ventura County. If the CIWMB approves the County's request, this will be the only time cities would be included without having to submit separate applications to the State. Any City that wants to be included in the zone, must send a letter of support to the County, by February 4, 1993. Upon review and discussion, the Public Works, Facilities, and Solid Waste Committee (Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery and Councilmember Wozniak) concurred with staff's recommendation to support the expansion of the RMDZ, and notifying the Ventura County Solid Waste Management Department, expressing Moorpark's interest in participating in the zone. RECOMMENDATION The Public Works, Facilities, and Solid Waste Committee and staff recommend that the City Council support the expansion of the Recycling Market Development Zones to include all cities in Ventura County, and direct the City Manager to send a letter of support to the Ventura County Solid Waste Management Department, expressing Moorpark's interest in participating in the zone.