Supervisors approve recycling zone, waiting for councils

Glenn County supervisors approved another 10-year cycle for a recycling market development zone on Tuesday.

Planning and Public Works Director John Linhart said renewal is done every decade and the county first approved the zone 20 years ago.

This program combines recycling with economic development to create new businesses and expand existing ones, Linhart noted in a board report.

It also is used to create jobs and divert waste from landfills, he said.

The zone is located across Glenn County and in the cities of Willows and Orland, but was set to expire March 31.

Action from the two city councils also will be needed to renew the program, Linhart said.

Originally, the Glenn County Economic Development Corporation applied for the designation on the county's behalf back in 1992, the report said.

The EDC sought approval from the California Integrated Waste Management Board with the two cities' support for the designation as a business attraction and retention tool to help businesses that used waste stream materials as feedstock in manufacturing, county officials said.

Linhart noted Glenn County was one of the first areas to receive the designation and was unique because the entire county was designated an incentive zone, the report said.

Administration and marketing of the zone was done at that time by Glenn EDC staff, he said, and jointly funded by the Glenn County Solid Waste Enterprise Fund and California Integrated Waste Management Board grants.

Today, Linhart's agency handles the marketing and administration of the zone.

Linhart said after the board meeting he does not know how many businesses are taking advantage of the program here because the staff member who handled it is no longer here.

However, he did say the program works with tire recyclers, used oil and filter recyclers and similar businesses.

The program provides loans, technical assistance and free product marketing to businesses that use waste stream materials and are located in the zone, Deputy Planning Director Annette Chavez wrote.

These zones also span 88,000 square miles of California from the Oregon border to San Diego, she added.

Local government incentives can include relaxed building codes and zoning laws, streamlined local permits, reduced taxes and licenses and increased feedstock supply, Chavez said.

Besides loans, CalRecycle offers free product marketing through the RecycleStore, officials said.

For more information, call 934-6540 or visit the county's website at www.countyofglenn.net. through the planning and public works department.