Integrated Waste Management

San Benito County’s Integrated Waste Management (IWM) has three essential functions. First, IWM staff manage the San Benito County Integrated Waste Management Joint Powers Agreement and Cost Sharing Agreement to meet state recycling mandates, protect public health and increase sustainability for its Regional Agency members, which include the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista and the County. Second, IWM administers the Landfill Operating Agreement between the County and the Landfill Operator to ensure compliance with the agreement as well as state and regional requirements for the County owned landfill. Third, the County more recently created a County Solid Waste Fund to separate the specific expenses and revenues associated with San Benito County outside of the Regional Agency and Landfill functions. This third fund enables IWM to provide and administer solid waste, recycling, and illegal dumping and litter abatement programs, grants, and contracts that are specific to unincorporated San Bentio County.

County IWM (225) - The Integrated Waste Management Division administers solid waste, recycling, and illegal dumping and litter abatement programs, grants, and contracts that are specific to unincorporated San Bentio County through this fund.

Regional Agency (226) - The Integrated Waste Management Division administers programs, contracts, grants, and budget on behalf of the San Benito County Integrated Waste Management Regional Agency with the ultimate goal of reducing waste sent to landfill. IWM staffs and manages the Regional Agency's Joint Powers Agreement and Cost Sharing Agreement on behalf of the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista and the County. IWM's functions include, but are not limited to, state reporting, IWM Local Task Force coordination, contracts administration, grant management, school recycling technical assistance, green business coordination and household hazardous waste program coordination.

Landfill (301) - The John Smith Landfill is owned by the County and privately operated by Waste Solutions Group of San Benito County LLC, a subsidiary of Waste Connections Inc. Integrated Waste Management is responsible for managing compliance of the Landfill Operating Agreement and budget. The Landfill Operator charges the public for the disposal of refuse that is brought to the landfill and in turns pays the County a landfill depletion fee per ton accepted. IWM works with Waste Solutions Group to achieve a balance with the goals of maintaining sustainable environmental standards, operating in an ethical manner with the public, adhering to all State, Federal and regional requirements.

The following budget unit information details the three sections found under Integrated Waste Management, a division of the Resource Management Agency. The three sections are divided between three separate enterprise funds outlined below:

• (225) - County IWM
• (226) - Regional Agency
• (301) - Landfill

• Ensure compliance with state waste reduction mandates through cost effective management of IWM programs and contracts for the Regional Agency members.

• Continue efforts for Regional Agency compliance of new mandate of SB 1383 which requires significant organics diversion from landfill.

• Continue to assist the County landfill disposal capacity planning.

• Hire and train the IWM Code Enforcement Officer position to enforce and administer all applicable solid waste codes and ordinances of the County of San Benito.

• Leverage community partnerships to increase waste reduction and diversion efforts, to reduce recycling and organics contamination, and to reduce litter and illegal dumping throughout the County.

• Ensure compliance of all IWM contracts. 

• Continue to improve compliance with CALGreen construction and demolition requirements to ensure covered permit projects are meeting C&D recycling requirements

• Continue to improve the Non-Exclusive Franchise Permit administration process for the Regional Agency.

• Continue to achieve revenue self-sufficiency for Fund 225 for the County‘s cost sharing portion of the Regional Agency and for improving additional County-only solid waste programs.

• Update county procedures for the handling of universal waste, illegal dumped hazardous waste, and encampment cleanup waste to reduce operational costs and dependency on contracts. 

• Completed all CalRecycle compliance reporting for the Regional Agency and continue to maintain the SB 1383 Implementation Record.

• Received over $200,000 in grant revenue to support SB 1383 programming and additional staff needs.

• Successfully launched and continue to provide oversight of the county-wide Non-Exclusive Franchise Permit program.

• Supported the development of the County’s encampment cleanup policy.

• Provided emergency response debris management of the Clean Green Fire to ensure safe management of debris, to increase recycling of debris and to divert applicable debris from landfill.

• Developed an illegal dumping reporting tool for public reports and internal tracking needs. Continuing to pilot grant-funded cameras and signage to deter illegal dumping county-wide.

• Senate Bill 1383 Compliance. Staff will be working with various City and County departments to comply with new requirements. Overall SB 1383 compliance imposes significant requirements to increase organics diversion and recover edible food.

• Reduction in Landfill Depletion Fee revenue due to suspension of out-of-County waste.

• Landfill has less than 15 years of disposal capacity for in-County use at this time.

• Continue county-wide implementation of SB 1383 to provide cost-effective, state compliant programs.

• Expand integrated waste planning and policy, and programs and offerings to San Benito County residents and businesses to increase diversion from landfill for the Regional Agency members.

• Explore funding opportunities for additional recycling initiatives, programs and cleanup efforts specific to unincorporated County.

• Establish an Illegal Dumping and Litter Abatement Task Force in partnership with the Regional Agency members and local stakeholders with the ultimate goal of reducing litter and illegal dumping and enhancing beautification in San Benito County.

• Continue to track and improve compliance with CALGreen construction and demolition to ensure covered permit projects are meeting 65% C&D recycling requirements. Establish a fining process for non-compliance.

• Update the County’s solid waste code to ensure consistency with state mandates and to increase diversion from landfill.

• Continuous professional growth for staff, empowering staff to deliver exceptional waste management solutions, to remain at the forefront of waste management standards and evolving regulatory frameworks, and to champion environmental sustainability through operational excellence in San Benito County.  

• Coordinate with the Landfill Operator and Board of Supervisors to expand recycling programs at the Landfill.

• Expand department to oversee and manage County’s climate action implementation efforts.