Waste Management and Lodi ready for new state organics law

Editor: California’s new state law mandating the separation of organic material from the trash is forcing many residents to reconsider the appropriate curbside collection cart for the type of trash being discarded.

The main component of the new state law (SB 1383) requires all residential and commercial properties to separate food scraps, food-soiled paper and landscape trimmings from the trash and place these items in a organics/compost cart for separate collection.

In short, the state’s goal is to reduce the volume of organic materials headed to landfills so that those materials can be turned into compost or a sustainable fuel. The state’s intention is to slow climate change by diverting up to 75% of organic materials (from 2014 levels) from landfills by 2025 and recovering 20% of edible food that is currently being placed in the trash and divert it to food-insecure residents.

SB 1383 also includes several ancillary requirements that will make the sorting of materials easier for residents and curbside collections and processing of materials more sustainable for tomorrow. (Learn more at calrecycle.com).

Thankfully, WM and the City of Lodi have been preparing for this new law and have a comprehensive plan to deliver these extra services to our community with as little financial impact to customers as possible. Discussions with the city council will begin this month and the plan is to implement changes in 2023.

WM is a sustainability company that is implementing programs and new technologies to turn food and yard waste into resources. In the last several years, WM invested millions of dollars to ensure we have the facilities and tools necessary to meet the state mandates. We’ve purchased and upgraded local compost facilities, we’ve installed stateof-the-art equipment on our collection trucks and we’ve developed a robust educational campaign to make the new sorting laws as easy as possible to learn.

WM EarthCare, a subsidiary of WM, continues to expand and recently purchased a compost facility in Lathrop that will be used in part to turn Lodi’s food scraps, food-soiled paper and landscape trimmings into compost.

Our collection trucks are now outfitted with new technology that can detect the contents of a cart to help Lodi meet state audit requirements. This new technology will streamline the audit process and prevent the City of Lodi from incurring more expensive manual audits of the trash, recycling and organic waste streams.

While collection rates will rise next year as service solutions expand, the cost increases in Lodi will be substantially lower than surrounding communities, thanks to the forward-thinking policies and practices initiated by WM and the City of Lodi.

WM will continue to work closely with Lodi officials and our community to ensure customers are kept updated of all changes and provided extensive educational outreach so we can build a sustainable future.

VANESSA BARBERIS Public sector services manager for Waste Management

Lower or reduce gas tax

Editor: Wow. Democrats are at it again. A recent story on TV news was about how the state is giving “relief ” to drivers of vehicles in California, the state with the highest fuel prices in the country. Every taxpayer, whether or not they even own a car, will be given $400. Santa Claus is at it again. Government giving money away. Buying votes.

If our state government was really serious about being concerned about how high fuel prices are affecting Californians, they would just temporarily lower or even excuse the 50-cent-per-gallon tax. That would be fair (something Democrats tout as being very important) and could actually help those constituents they claim to be concerned about. But no ... instead, they continue to take our money at the pumps. Then they can be given credit for how compassionate they are by giving citizens another cash “gift.” That way they can continue to milk their “cash cow” at the pumps and reap a fortune while getting credit for being compassionate and understanding and generous.

No wonder voters keep voting them in. Free money buys votes.

SHARON KIRKPATRICK

Lodi

More can be done to provide affordable housing

Editor: To answer the Friday, March 18, headline, “Is Lodi missing the mark on low-income housing?,” I say a resounding ‘YES!’

The article states that the City of Lodi is “still falling short of goals to allow very low, low and moderate income housing units,” according to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation.

During a recent conversation with one of our city council members, I addressed this urgent need. I was told that contractors cannot afford to build low-income housing and, even if they are willing, they must apply for state and federal grants in order to fund their construction effort which they are not always equipped to do. I find this puzzling, given efforts that are being made in other cities. Could the city provide help in applying for grants? I support the suggestion of Councilman Doug Kuehne to donate cityowned land to contractors, greatly reducing their construction costs. In this same article, Mr. Schwabauer stated, “We can do what we can do to make affordable housing construction an efficient and viable business in our community.” My question is, what will it take?

I realize the problem of housing those with lower incomes is a complicated one. Some of the unsheltered do not desire permanent residences, but certainly those who have jobs and families but are forced to live in their cars, would welcome an affordable home. Kudos to Lodi House who is expanding its transitional program to offer more housing for their graduates, all done without city funding. The four tiny homes on Lodi Avenue are lovely (funded largely by San Joaquin County), but the need is so much greater than these can provide. A friend was on a waiting list for five years to be able to move into one of the affordable housing apartments east of Target on Tienda Drive. She is very pleased with the quality and efficiency of the apartment and the standards and security set by management. Why can’t permits be approved to build more attractive apartments like this in other locations in our city? (Perhaps on that city donated land suggested by Mr. Kuehne). My guess is these projects do not generate the tax revenue our city desires. Obviously, building permits for high-end home construction are being approved with developments in the south and west ends of town.

Whatever the drawbacks are, I believe we can be doing a better job of providing affordable housing.

SUSAN SCHMIEDT Lodi

Choose carefully this election season

Editor: Election time is approaching. Banners and signs cover the popular traffic lanes requesting your vote. Please, don’t choose your candidate because the sign is attractive, the color inspires you. Research, find all you can about the candidates. Be certain that your choice is qualified for the position. When the time comes VOTE. Be satisfied that your vote was cast for the individual that will work to benefit of all.

WILLIAM MEISSNER Lodi

No light necessary at Turner and Guild

Editor: So, there I was, peaceably reading Steve Mann’s (our local Herb Caan, if you are unaware) column in my favorite morning newspaper, the Lodi Sentinel. (of course this was at 5 p.m. when it arrived in the mail). Everything was just hunky-dory.

Then I got the brief paragraph stating that there is going to be a new signal light installed at the “uncontrolled t-intersection” of Turner Road and Guild Avenue.

Wisps of smoke started squirting uncontrollably from my ears! I happen to have negotiated that exact section of road an estimated 5,000 times (yes, 5,000) over the 15 years. My job took me that way at least twice a day. Never a single time did I ever see a giant snarl of cars/traffic at that intersection. Turner Road, at the east end, ends, and the public roadway continues to the south as Guild Avenue It is simply a mandatory right-turn only. North is the private entry into the old Guild Winery, whatever entity it is now. It is not a public road. It is basically their driveway.

I am just going to blurt it out. That is the dumbest place for a traffic signal I have ever heard of. I guess in all the years that intersection has been in existence there has probably been an accident of some kind. I, however, am unaware of any. When I was a young boy, I often went that way with my grandma to pick up my grandpa from work at Guild. But I’m only 66 now so I probably just haven’t been traveling that intersection long enough to be aware of all the dangers. Stop the needless expenditure. BRUCE RILEY

Lodi