The city of Concord’s public information officer, Stefanie Breton, sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The newsletter contained too much information for us to fit into this spot, so we’re just printing some highlights here. For the full newsletter, go to concordnh.gov and click the “Newsletter” button on the home page.
Recycling bin changes downtown
In an effort to reduce recycling contamination and illegal dumping, the Downtown Solid Waste District has made changes to downtown dumpster lids and some dumpster locations.
The city’s contractor for trash and recycling has managed contamination and illegal dumping in the past, but current recycling market conditions and demand for improved quality of materials have made this more challenging to manage. New slot lids have been installed on the downtown dumpsters that will allow loose recyclables and will require boxes to be broken down. Unlike the previous flip-top lids, these new lids will prevent non-recyclables, trash and boxes that are not broken down from filling up the dumpster and cluttering the area.
The location and quantity of some recycling containers have changed in areas that have had high contamination and illegal dumping. Some recycling dumpsters in these areas have been moved or switched to trash containers to ensure materials are entering the appropriate waste stream.
These changes will successfully improve the quality of materials to maintain recycling for the Downtown Solid Waste District.
Public hearing on I-93 expansion
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing in Concord on Wednesday to discuss the proposed reconstruction and expansion of Interstate 93 in Bow and Concord to improve traffic operations and safety.
The public hearing will be held at DOT headquarters, 7 Hazen Drive, beginning at 7 p.m. The building will be open at 6 p.m. for the inspection of plans by interested persons.
The proposed improvements would widen 4.8 miles of I-93 from near the Grandview Road overpass in Bow to the Merrimack River Bridge in Concord, including improvements to five interchanges – I-89 and Exits 12 through 15. The project will also extend along Interstate 89 in Bow, from Route 3A North approximately 0.8 miles, including reconfiguration of Exit 1, and along Interstate 393 from Commercial Street through Exit 1.
Interested property owners, public officials and highway users are welcome and will be given the opportunity to comment on the project. Written statements and other exhibits may be submitted to the Chairman of the Special Committee, c/o Peter Stamnas, Director of Project Development, NH Department of Transportation, PO Box 483, Concord, NH 03302-0483 up to 30 days after the date of this hearing for inclusion in the official record. More information can be found at I93BowConcord.com.
America Recycles Day is Thursday
Recycling contamination is a central focus right now in the recycling industry. The leading source of recycling contamination is plastic film, such as plastic bags. Single-stream recycling programs are not capable of effectively processing plastic film.
Cities that offer convenient single-stream recycling, including Concord, are facing challenges to improve recycling materials to work with the current market. Increasing consumer education about what materials are acceptable and not acceptable for single-stream recycling will raise awareness to keep materials like plastic film out of recyclables.
Concord General Services invites residents to take the #BeRecycled pledge to recycle better at AmericaRecyclesDay.org. Residents that share their pledge on Facebook or Twitter and tag Concord General Services (@ConcordNHGS) while using the #BeRecycled hashtag will be entered for a chance to win a bundle of pay-as-you-throw trash bags.
Girls on the Run 5K on Saturday
Girls on the Run is holding its Fall 5K Celebration on Saturday. The race starts at 10:30 a.m. The following streets will be closed: 10 a.m. to noon, southbound lane of South Fruit Street, from Pleasant to Clinton streets; 10:25 to 10:45 a.m., northbound lane of South Fruit Street, from Memorial Field to Clinton Street; 10:30 to 11 a.m., westbound and, if necessary, eastbound lane of Clinton Street, from South Fruit Street to Langley Parkway.
Stefanie Breton
