In an effort to expand public participation in Ulster County’s Zero Waste planning process, we recently called on members of the Ulster County Legislature’s Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee to ensure that meaningful opportunities for public comment are built into MSW consultants’ work on the County’s Zero Waste Policy Guidance document before it is finalized.
If this Policy Guidance document has the potential to shape the path toward a Zero Waste Implementation Plan (ZWIP), then the public must have a seat at the table. With a $10,000 investment already committed, this is a key opportunity to leverage the current work into the next phase of developing a ZWIP in a way that is collaborative, participatory, and properly funded. We urged the need for a public presentation or workshop to share preliminary recommendations, timely online access to materials, a publicly noticed comment period on draft documents, and clear consideration of public input in the final guidance document.
Legislator Chris Hewitt responded, and it’s encouraging.
He wrote that the Legislature will be reaching out to the consultant to create a version of the document that is accessible to the public for edits, feedback, and suggestions. There will also be additional opportunities for input, including during and after the public presentation. We will continue to keep KingstonCitizens.org readers informed so that anyone interested can participate and contribute. If you haven’t already, please sign up for our newsletter for continued updates.