Common Council Explores Waste Incinerator Options

A waste incinerator could help Carroll County reduce waste disposal costs, help the environment and reduce the use of landfills, a Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority official told the Common Council Monday night.

Councilman Greg Peceraro said he invited Robin Davidov from the waste disposal authority to "bring the council up to speed" on the proposed Carroll-Frederick County project and Westminster’s potential role in it. 

Davidov said waste incinerator sites in Baltimore City and Montgomery County demonstrate their success in reducing costs over the long term, providing environmentally friendly solutions to waste and reducing the amount of land necessary to manage waste. 

She said the permit phase, which has just begun, will take about a year. Afterward, the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority could provide the counties with financial data. If the project is approved, Davidov said construction would take about three years. 

Davidov said that Frederick County is interested in moving forward with the project and if Carroll County declines, other partners will likely join Frederick County. 

She could not answer the council's questions regarding the city's potential role in the incinerator project or the city's use of the incinerator. She said that would be determined by the county.

Don West, representing Waste Not Carroll, urged council members to hear other positions on the incinerator project. He suggested that Davidov presented misinformation or omitted information in her presentation.

“We offer that there are at least two sides to the issue, it’s a very complicated issue and I would like to offer for myself or someone from our group, who has been studying this for about two years, to come give you our take on the incinerator project,” West said.

Council President Damian Halstad agreed the council would hear more from other stakeholders about the project at future meetings. 

Ordinance No. 823
The council also heard testimony about Ordinance No. 823, which would authorize outdoor carnivals at TownMall.

The council introduced an ordinance at the March 14 meeting that would allow the Planned Regional Shopping Center Zone, which includes Cranberry Square Shopping Center and the TownMall of Westminster, to hold outdoor carnivals up to five times per year. 

Tom Beyard, Westminster's director of Planning, Zoning and Development, said at the March 14 meeting that the goal of the ordinance is to clarify the process by which the TownMall will hold carnival events. 

“In the past we have worked events like this with the mall under the auspices of the city, and we didn’t have any issues, but this will provide a structure that will allow for certainty,” Beyard said.

“In order to provide some certainty, we tried to come up with some language that would satisfy the mall’s interest but at the same time keep the connection to the community and keep the number of carnivals to a minimum because of competition. It (specific events) would have to be permitted by the city as with any other carnival situation,” Beyard said.

TownMall General Manager Robyn Clark said she would make sure that carnivals don't compete with existing community events such as FallFest. 

The council will vote on the ordinance at its next meeting, April 11, at 7 p.m. at city hall.