* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] SO WE CAN START. ROLL CALL. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CINDY ALLEN. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DARREL HERE. AND CHAIR. CHRISTINA DUGGAN HERE. AND WE HAVE THREE, SO THAT MAKES QUORUM. ALRIGHT. UM, CAN WE HAVE THE FIRST ITEM OF THE REGULAR AGENDA READ? YEAH. WE, THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FORMAT. YEAH. I'LL, OR DON'T READ IT. I'LL READ IT. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE SOUTHEAST RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY. SERVED MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23RD, 2024. OKAY. SUPER. NOW WE'LL MOVE THE ITEM AND I'LL SECOND DO A PUBLIC COMMENT. I GET, YEAH, I GUESS YOU, OH, A COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT? ALL RIGHT. . IT'S EASY. ALL VOTE. YEAH. ALL CLERK VOTE FAVOR HAND. YEAH, YOU DO. I GUESS WE'LL HAVE THE CHAIR DO IT. WE DON'T HAVE CLERK SUPPORT. ANY OF THOSE. THANKS, GERALD. COUNCIL MEMBER. ALRIGHT, SECOND ITEM. RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE SERVE MANAGER'S REPORT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OFF YOU HAVE A SO, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, BOARD MEMBERS. I'LL PROVIDE NOW AN UPDATE ON SERVES RECENT ACTIVITIES AND ONGOING EFFORTS. AND YOU CAN SEE IN YOUR AGENDA THERE IS KIND OF A SUMMARY OF THAT REPORT, UM, THAT WAS PROVIDED. UM, SO AS PART OF THE FACILITIES, THE CLOSURE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF CONTRIBUTION SERVE OFFICIALLY CEASED ACCEPTING WASTE. ON JANUARY 31ST, 2024. IN FEBRUARY OF 24, WE HELD A SMALL GATHERING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE OPERATOR. OH. OH, HERE WE GO. HELLO. HELLO. NAME PLEASE. YOU DON'T WANNA WHERE YOU WERE. CAN TELL ME WHERE TO, TO THE BEACH CONFERENCE ROOM. IT FACES THE BEACH. WHAT'S THAT? DOES IT? NO, IT DOESN'T. THAT'S WHY I NEVER SAID BUT YOUR FACES. THE BEACH. THE BEACH. GLAD YOU COULD FIND IT THOUGH. GLAD YOU COULD FIND IT. YES. APOLOGIES ABOUT THE LOGISTICS. UM, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE, UH, MANAGER'S REPORT. SO IF THIS IS AN OFFICIAL REPORT THOUGH, IT DOES SAY JANUARY 31ST, 2025. YES. AND MY APOLOGIES, IT SHOULD SAY 2024. AND IN FEBRUARY OF 24, WE HELD A SMALL GATHERING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE OPERATOR RERO, FORMERLY KNOWN AS COVANTA FOR THEIR DEDICATED SERVICE. AND TO RECOGNIZE THE FACILITY'S CONTRIBUTIONS OVER ITS 35 YEAR OPERATIONAL LIFE. DURING THIS TIME, SURF PROCESSED OVER 15.5 MILLION TONS OF REFUSE GENERATED AND SOLD OVER 7 MILLION MEGAWATT HOURS OF ELECTRICITY AND HELPED REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY AN ESTIMATED 37 MILLION TONS OF CO2 EQUIVALENTS. AS PART OF THE, UM, DECOMMISSIONING PROCESS, SHUTTING DOWN SURF WAS A MULTI-STEP PROCESS. UM, FIRST KEY STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING REGIONAL PARTNERS, WASTE HAULERS AND REGULATORY AGENCIES FOR NOTIFIED TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION. UM, THEN THE CITY WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE OPERATOR TO SAFELY PROCESS THE FINAL BATCHES OF WASTE AND EXECUTE A SYSTEMATIC SHUTDOWN OF EQUIPMENT, PRIORITIZING SAFETY AND ALL OF THAT. UM, FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL REMOVAL, SPECIALIZED TEAMS WERE HANDLED THAT HAS MATERIALS IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS. UM, AND THE COMPLETE FOR COMPLETION. THE OPERATOR OFFICIALLY CONCLUDED DECOMMISSIONING SERVICES ON NOVEMBER 8TH, 2024 FOR POST DECOMMISSIONING ACTIVITIES. UM, CITY STAFF ARE FINALIZING EXPENSES RELATED TO DECOMMISSIONING WHILE MANAGING THE ONGOING SITE OPERATIONS AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. UH, SOME OF THESE CURRENT EFFORTS INCLUDE MAINTAINING SITE SECURITY AND MONITORING ACTIVE SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE SEWER LIFT STATION, STORM DRAIN, CATCH BASIN, UM, UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK, AND FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS. UM, ALSO WE ARE PREPARING THE SITE FOR DEMOLITION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY REGULATIONS. UH, AS PART OF DEMOLITION PLANNING, THE CITY'S WORKING WITH TRC, THE AWARDED CONSULTANT FOR DEMOLITION TO DEVELOP AN RFP FOR DEMOLITION SERVICES. WE ANTICIPATE BRINGING THE DEMOLITION CONTRACT FORWARD FOR BOARD APPROVAL [00:05:01] IN WE'RE THINKING THE LATE SUMMER OR MAYBE EARLY FALL, UM, TIMEFRAME AS A SPECIAL MEETING OF 2025. UH, AS FAR AS FUTURE USE AND ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THE SITE, THE LANDSCAPE FOR ORGANIC WASTE PROCESSING HAS SHIFTED LEADING BIOENERGY DCO TO REASSESS ITS APPROACH BEFORE EXECUTING THE EXCLUSIVE NEGOTIATING AGREEMENT KNOWN AS THE ENA CITY STAFF CONTINUES NEGOTIATIONS WITH THEM WHILE CONDUCTING SOME OTHER MARKET RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY THE BEST SOLUTIONS FOR THE SITE. ADDITIONALLY, THE CITY IS EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AS A WHOLE TO SUPPORT BOTH LONG BEACH AND LA COUNTY'S REGIONAL SOLID WASTE NEEDS. UM, FOR THE JPA AGREEMENT EXTENSION TO ALLOW FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THE DILU DISSOLUTION TERMS BETWEEN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND THE LA COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT. UNDER THE JPA AND THE FUND ALLOCATION THAT WOULD OCCUR POST DEMO, THE JPA AGREEMENT WAS EXTENDED THROUGH THE END OF 2025. SO DECEMBER 31ST, 2025. UM, IN CONCLUSION, CITY STAFF REMAINED COMMITTED TO A SMOOTH TRANSITION, RESPONSIBLE SITE MANAGEMENT AND LONG-TERM PLANNING THAT ALIGNS WITH REGIONAL SOLID WASTE PRIORITIES. WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UPDATES AS PROGRESS IS MADE. AND THANK YOU. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. ANY QUESTIONS. ONE THING YOU MIGHT ADD IS THE, THE CA PROCESS WE WENT THROUGH AND HOW WE GOT EXEMPT FROM THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA SHARE THAT. OH, IN THE DEMO? YEAH. YES. UM, I THINK IN OUR LAST SPECIAL MEETING WE HAD A, UM, OH, DID WE? YEAH. OKAY. UH, I DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD APPROVAL AT THAT TIME TO FILE A NOTICE OF EXEMPTION THAT EXACTLY RIGHT. WITH THE, UH, AWARD OF TRCS DEMO CONSULTANT SERVICES. OKAY. OKAY. AND I SUPPOSE THE UPDATE IS THAT YOU ALL, UM, APPROVED THE FILING OF THAT CATEGOR CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEMOLITION. IT WAS FILED AND NO ONE CHALLENGED IT. OKAY. DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT, UM, OR CHAIR MAY ASK A QUESTION? I WAS GONNA ASK A QUESTION. WERE YOU GONNA ASK ONE? NO, I'M GOOD. THANKS. UH, SO DEVCO WAS THE ORGANIC WASTE THAT WAS GO THE AGENCY THAT WAS GONNA GO ON TO THE FACILITY AND THEY'RE QUESTIONING IT. THEY'RE RECONSIDERING CURRENTLY THEY'RE EVALUATING. SO WE HAVEN'T, AND THEY RESPONDED. THAT DOESN'T SOUND REALLY GOOD. NO, WELL, IT'S NOT. THEY RESPONDED WITH AN RFP WITH THEIR TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY HAVE. RIGHT. THEY, THE PART OF THE, I MEAN I REMEMBER THE DOMES, RIGHT? THERE WERE TWO WELL, TANKS. YEAH. TANKS. AND SO WHAT THEY DID IS THEY CAME OUT HERE AND THEY'RE PRESENTLY LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE ORGANICS MARKET IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOOK LIKE. THEIR PROCESS IS MORE AKIN TO LOW SOLIDS, UH, ORGANICS, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE FOOD WASTE AND THINGS OF THAT. VERY FEW, IF ANY AGENCIES IN THE REGION ARE GOING WITH JUST LOW SOLIDS ONLY COLLECTION, THEY'RE DOING WHAT'S CALLED HIGH SOLIDS. SO YOU'RE MIXING YOUR YARD CLIPPINGS IN WITH YOUR RIGHT, YOUR FOOD WASTE, AND THEN IT'S COLLECTED IN ONE BIN. SO THAT PROCESS IS, IS PROBABLY NOT THE BEST FIT FOR THEIR TECHNOLOGY, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO ASSESS WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE OUT HERE. SO PRIOR TO ENTER INTO THAT AGREEMENT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING. THEY'RE DOING A NEW MARKET, UH, EVALUATION TO SEE IF THAT'S GONNA WORK FOR THEIR PROCESSES. SOME OPTIONS THEY HAVE IS SIMPLY TO DOWNSIZE MAYBE WHAT THEY HAVE. THEY HAD A LARGE 300,000 TONS A YEAR PLANT. MAYBE THEY DOWNSIZE IT, BUT WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL THEY COME BACK TO MEET WITH US, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE WHAT, END OF MARCH? YEAH. THEY HAD SAID END OF MARCH THEY WOULD COME WITH A PRESENTATION ON WHAT THEY WOULD YES. YEAH. PROPOSE TO ON HOW TO PROCEED TO YOU CORRECT. NOT TO. OKAY. NOT NOT TO THE JPA. TO TO THE SERVE TEAM AND TO EVERYONE HERE. YEAH. AT THE RISK OF STATING THE OBVIOUS THAT YOU'RE REMEMBERING A CITY COUNCIL ACTION APPROVING AN ENA WITH BIOENERGY DECO, NOT THE SURF AUTHORITY BECAUSE THEY CAN ONLY OPERATE THERE ONCE THE CURRENT FACILITY IS GONE. OKAY. AND AT THAT POINT, THE JPA IS GONNA WIND DOWN, THE CITY'S GONNA GET THE PROPERTY BACK. YOU ALL AUTHORIZED THAT ENA WITH BIOENERGY DECO ABOUT A YEAR AGO. THEY HAVEN'T SIGNED IT YET. OKAY. WHICH IS, I MEAN, TELLING, THEY HAVEN'T SIGNED IT. YEAH. RIGHT. THAT ANY OTHER INQUIRIES WITH NO ONE ELSE HAS HAS COMPLETED THE RFP. RIGHT. LAST YEAR WE ONLY HAD ONE RESPONSE. WE HAD TWO, ONE WITHDREW, ONE WITHDREW, AND THAT LEFT. BDC IS THE ONLY RESPONDENT TO THE RFP. SO, UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, WE ARE GOING OUT AND TRYING TO GATHER THEIR PARTNER THAT THEY WERE GONNA PARTNER WITH HERE FOUND A, A BETTER SOLUTION FOR THE ATHENS WAS THEIR HAULER. YEAH. AND THEY FOUND A DIFFERENT SOLUTION FOR THE ORGANICS THAT THEY WERE GONNA BRING TO, TO BE. SO THEY KIND OF LOST THEIR LOCAL, UH, PRESENCE. UH, AND, AND, UH, FEEDSTOCK SUPPLIER WHEN ATHENS WENT WITH A DIFFERENT, UH, SOLUTION. SO THAT'S, THAT WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST HICCUP FOR THEM, IS THAT THEY, UH, HAVE TO GO OUT AND TRY TO FIND, YOU DON'T WANNA [00:10:01] BUILD A PLANT, NOT HAVE ANY REFUGE REFUSE COMING IN OR ANY ORGANICS COMING IN. RIGHT. THAT THAT'S THEIR FEAR. SO WE'RE NOT NEED FOLLOW UP AND ADD THANK YOU CHAIR FOR BRINGING THAT UP BECAUSE THAT'S OUR NARRATIVE THAT WE'VE BEEN USING. SO. YEP. RIGHT. UH, SO AS SOON AS YOU CAN FIND OUT IF THERE'S A MECHANISM WHERE WE WOULD FIND OUT, UM, JUST ANY, ANY GIVEN COMMUNITY MEETING, THIS TOPIC WILL COME UP. AND THEN WE'VE BEEN SAYING THAT THIS IS, AS OUR ESTEEMED ATTORNEY SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE HEARD AT THE COUNCIL MEETING. THAT'S ALL WE KNEW FROM HERE, SO. RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. I HAVE ONE QUESTION. DO YOU, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE DEMOLITION SURFACE IS? THE RANGE THAT'S GONNA COME IN AT, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? WELL, THAT'S WHY WE, WE, UH, HAVE TRC OUT THERE. AND SO IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE OTHER COUNTRIES, THEY, THEY'VE DEVIL THESE, WE KIND OF HAVE AN IDEA. IT'S ABOUT A THREE, $3 MILLION, $4 MILLION PRICE TAG TO DO IT. IT'S CONTINGENT ON A LOT OF THINGS. THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF METAL THAT'S GONNA BE RECYCLED. SO THE PRICE OF METAL FOR RECYCLING, CALIFORNIA'S A LITTLE UNIQUE, UH, WITH, WITH MAYBE SOME OF THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL RESTRICTIONS THAT, THAT EXIST. SO MAYBE THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THAT. HAVEN'T BEEN MANY OF THESE, UH, DEMOLISHED. UH, THE MOST RECENT ONE WAS WE'RE IN, UH, UH OH, LISA ENERGY, DETROIT IN DETROIT. YEAH. IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN. SO VERY SIMILAR TO THIS. MAYBE A LITTLE SMART, BUT, SO WE'RE KIND OF, UH, TREADING INTO NEW WATERS HERE. BUT WE, WE WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT IT WON'T BE AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT. UH, BUT THEN AGAIN, IT DOES RELY ON AND LOCAL. LUCKILY OUR UH, RECYCLING CENTER IS JUST RIGHT ACROSS THE PORT. OUR RECYCLING IS OVER THERE FOR SA SITE. SO, UH, SO A LOT OF THINGS ARE VERY CLOSE TO PROXIMITY OF THIS SITE, UM, BUT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. AND WE ARE JUST GOING TO DEMOLISH IT TO GRADE. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE REMOVING LIKE THE FOUNDATION OR THE SLAB THAT SERVES, SITS ON IT'S ANCHORED WITH PIERS DOWN INTO THE GROUND THAT MAYBE SOMEBODY WOULD WANT TO USE FOR ANY FUTURE, UH, BUILDINGS THAT GO IN THERE. SO IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO TEAR THAT ALL OUT 'CAUSE THEY'D HAVE TO RE GO BACK AND REINSTALL ALL THAT. SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT SHOULD HELP US OUT. UM, THERE'S A LOT OF EQUIPMENT THAT WAS LEFT THERE, SO, UH, SOME OF IT COULD BE AUCTIONED OFF AND WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THE PROCEEDS FROM THAT WOULD BE. SO THERE'S STILL A LOT OF UNKNOWNS. UM, BUT WE'RE HOPEFUL TO HAVE SOMETHING MORE SOLID ONCE WE SEND OUT THE RFP FOR THE DEMOLITION AND, AND RECEIVE THAT BACK. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER POWER PLANTS, NOT QUITE LIKEER DEMOED, UH, BY L-E-D-W-P AT THEIR HANGS FACILITY. MM-HMM . SO SOME OF THESE FOLKS ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT. TRC IS ALSO VERY FAMILIAR WITH THOSE, UH, OPERATIONS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO DO YOU NEED TO VOTE ON UM, YEAH, ON THE RECEIVING FILE WE NEED TO FIRST TO SECOND AND PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. SO DO YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? I ATTORNEY. OKAY. I'LL SECOND. ALRIGHT. PUBLIC COMMENT. ANYBODY? ALRIGHT. UH, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL RIGHT. SECOND PASSED. THANK YOU. ALL DOING TWO. I NEED TO UM, KIND OF ANNOUNCE MAYOR JONES AS PART OF THE KIND OF PRESENT, UH, NO YOU DON'T NEED TO AS LONG AS YOU NOTE IT FOR THE MINUTES. OKAY. THAT HE ARRIVED. OKAY, GOT IT. 'CAUSE WE HAD RE ALREADY REACHED CORA BEFORE WE THAT'S RIGHT. STARTED. OKAY. UM, I BELIEVE, UM, WE HAVE A SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, THE NEXT IS THE CHAIR, CHAIR, CHAIR. CHAIR BY CHAIR. AH, AND THEN THERE IS GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL. SO, UM, COUNCIL CHAIR, DUGGAN, THAT'S KIND OF A SCRIPT THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW. OH, EXCELLENT. FOR THE, UM, ELECTIONS. IT'S PRETTY FORMAL. . OKAY. I REMEMBER GETTING VOTED IN LAST YEAR. , IT'S NOT LIKE THE VICE MAYOR. UH, ROUND ROBIN FOR THAT ANSWER. . ALRIGHT. UM, I DECLARE THE NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR THE CHAIR OF SERVE JPA. EACH MEMBER MAY NOMINATE ONE PERSON FOR CHAIR, INCLUDING YOURSELF. THESE NOMINATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE A SECOND. I NOMINATED AND THEN WE'LL DO THE SAME THING FOR VICE CHAIR. RIGHT. I THINK WE SHOULD NOMINATE CHRISTINA AGAIN. . OH WAIT, I GONNA NOMINATE YOU. HEY RICH, DO YOU HAVE A COPY? THAT'S A GOOD JOB. OH, FOR MY ONE HE'S . . WOULD YOU READ THE CLERK ONE? WOULD YOU READ IT? UH OH, THE VICE CHAIR? YEAH, THE CLERK. ALRIGHT FINE. ANY NOMINATIONS I NOMINATE HERE. JONES. ALRIGHT. . DOES THAT MEAN I COULD DECIDE THE LOCATION OF THE MEETING? YEAH. NOT HERE. . HAVE IT AT THE UH, WE HAD AT THE WATER. ALRIGHT. ANY MORE NOMINATIONS AT THE GUEST? THERE BE NO FURTHER NOMINATIONS. I DECLARE THE NOMINATIONS CLOSED FOR CHAIR. UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK HERE? OH, I'M SO GRACIOUS FOR THIS NOMINATION AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO HOLD THE DUTY OF CHAIR OF THE JOINT POWERS GROUP OF DISMANTLING SURF. YAY. ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S CALL FOR A VOTE. AYE. ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. SAME . ALL RIGHT. UM, [00:15:01] CONGRATULATIONS. CHAIR FROM YOU FIRST. SO I'LL OPEN NOMINATIONS FOR VICE CHAIR THEN AS THE NEW CHAIR. AND I'M GONNA NOMINATE CINDY ALLEN HERE. I KNEW THAT WAS COMING. . OH, DO I? OKAY. SO ANY OTHERS? ARE WE, YEAH. SHOULD WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT FOR VICE CHAIR? PRETTY MUCH. I HEAR NO ANOTHER NOMINATION. SO HAVE THEM CLOSE. ANY WORDS? NOMINATIONS? YEAH, EXACTLY. I GUESS IT'S UP TO YOU NOW. ALL RIGHT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? JULY . SORRY. NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT? I LIKE TO THINK MY MOTHER AND MY FATHER NOW I'M JUST, IT'S UH, YEAH, IT'S PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS AND DISMANTLING, NOT PROUD OF BE DISMANTLING IT, BUT YOU KNOW, WELL, HOPEFULLY WE TRY TO BETTER USE. ALRIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AND CONGRATULATIONS VICE CHAIR ALLEN . ALRIGHT, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NOW. RIGHT? GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. ALRIGHT. UM, EVENING ADJOURNED. MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.