County staff urge quick decision on Part 115 notice and materials‑management role

County staff presented an update on the Part 115 materials‑management requirements and recommended that Ottawa County act as the county approval agency (CAA) and pursue a single‑county materials management plan.

Kim Walters said the notice of intent must be completed by the board chair or an authorized representative and that the county has a 180‑day filing window from the state's January notice: "So the action items would be to either do a resolution or through minutes, whatever option you guys feel most comfortable doing," she said, and offered a draft resolution and example language from Kent County.

Walters told commissioners the solid waste planning committee recommends the county accept the CAA role and maintain a single‑county plan while keeping partnerships with neighboring jurisdictions. She said doing so preserves local control and gives Ottawa County influence over plan content and grant opportunities; declining would likely leave the state to write a plan that could be more basic and lessen the county’s local input.

Commissioners asked staff for a short pros and cons memo and for a briefing before Kim goes on maternity leave; Jack Jordan volunteered to help prepare a pros/cons analysis and to coordinate next steps.

Why it matters: accepting the CAA role affects who writes the materials management plan, the county’s ability to access certain grants and to shape local waste management policy, and it triggers additional committee and staffing tasks during implementation.

What comes next: staff offered a draft resolution and recommended moving a formal action to the full board as soon as commissioners have had a chance to review a pros/cons memo and discuss logistics for the designated planning agency and committee membership.