The Houston-Galveston Area Council has $1,200,000 in funding from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for FY18-19 solid waste grants. These funds are intended for projects that will provide direct and measurable reductions in the amount of waste going into landfills or being dumped illegally. Eligible grant categories are:

• Local Enforcement
• Source Reduction and Recycling
• Local Solid Waste Management Plans
• Litter and Illegal Dumping Cleanup and Community Collection Events
• Household Hazardous Waste Management
• Technical Studies
• Citizens' Collection Stations and "Small" Registered Transfer Stations
• Education and Training

H-GAC received eighteen applications from local governments and school districts totaling $1,137,427.45. A subcommittee comprised of members and alternates of H-GAC’s Solid Waste Management Committee (SWMC) reviewed the proposals during applicant presentations on November 13 and 14, 2017, and scored them for merit, cost-effectiveness, and level of local effort. The subcommittee also identified areas in proposals where grant amounts could be reduced to allow more projects to be funded.

On November 27, 2017, the SWMC reviewed these recommendations and voted to approve and forward them to the H-GAC Board of Directors. The SWMC recommended full or partial funding for twelve projects, totaling $683,842.55, electing to retain $516,157.45 for future projects. The SWMC viewed the lower-scored projects as either having a less significant regional impact or not exhibiting an immediate need. The results of the SWMC final ranking, funding recommendations, and comments are shown on the following pages. The recommended list is subject to TCEQ approval. The SWMC will develop a specific recommendation for programming the $516,157.45 fund balance at their January 2018 meeting.

TCEQ solid waste tipping fees

Yes

Request authorization to contract with recommended applicants for FY18-19 solid waste management funds. (Staff Contact: Jeff Taebel)