Message from the President (presented at the 2009 AGM)

It is my pleasure to provide a short overview of Chapter Activities in 2009 as they relate to the services provided by the Chapter.  Details of the individual work of the committees will be presented by the committee representatives at the AGM

Goal 1: Maintain a Sustainable Budget Cycle

• In 2009 the BC Chapter continued to stand on a strong financial footing- while weathering a severe economic downturn that affected not only member’s disposable dollars for membership, as well as training and travel allowances.
• All symposia and sessions are treated as standalone projects aimed at drawing a small surplus to provide local chapter services. In addition to the contracted services of the Executive Director, the Chapter now has committed expenses for accounting and web services that are provided by others.
• The BC Chapter hosted the successful 2009 North West Regional Symposium in Richmond BC at the end of March and managed to hold the line and make a nominal surplus that will be shared with our partner chapters in Washington and Oregon. Largest single day attendance was 115.  There were122 full and single day registrations; in addition to 45 sponsor and exhibitor registrations and 35 Training registrations.
• Next year the North West Regional Symposium will be held in Alaska for the first time.

Goal 2: Reduce any Accumulated Surplus and Reallocate Funds

• As part of an overall plan to address accumulated surplus and reallocation of funds to meet with future needs, the Chapter Directors had a inaugural meeting in January launching development of an “Strategic Plan”  to take the Chapter through the next 5 to 10 years.
• The “Strategic Plan“  components are currently approximately 6 months behind schedule and  a revised schedule will be brought forward to the 2010 Board of Directors. The end goal is a plan that better addresses financial restructuring with respect to the needs of Chapter programs, Chapter faculty development, and sustainable service provision at the local Chapter level.
  

Goal 3: Increase Paid Membership

• 2009 saw no increase in membership (unlike the past 3 years).
• Overall numbers did however remain steady at just under 200 - despite the severe economic downturn that saw a 15% reduction in the “Sustaining” (i.e. private) category of the membership base.
• Details appear in the Membership report.
  

Goal 4: Continue to Enhance Member Services

• Enhanced member services are currently initiated either on a SWANA International or on a local BC Chapter level.
• SWANA International continues to promote “upgrading” of memberships to various technical divisions – and these divisions are taking on new meaning through the SWANA International e-training.
  

Goal 5: Increase the Public Profile of SWANA BC Chapter

• The Chapter has continued to expand Chapter partnerships beyond CWMA and the RCBC; these now include Civic Info BC and the Canadian Waste and Recycling Expo in continued efforts to include other associations of waste managers, public works and civic administration in BC.
• The CWRE experience in 2009 was excellent with the BC Chapter staffing a booth and hosting some of the most popular  technical sessions at the Expo. The sessions are purchased “a-la carte” and the hosts - Messe Frankfurt - only provide space for local and national partner groups. Coordination of concurrent sessions is minor and a free market system determines where limited registration dollars are spent. The BC Chapter had the largest single session (its WTE session) with 40 paying registrants. There were a total of 148. registrations for all of the SWANA sessions at the Expo.  CEUs were made available by SWANA International.
  

Goal 6: Training for MOLO, LFG and New Format of SWANA BC Chapter “BC Qualified Landfill Operators Course - BCQLO”

• As part of the Pacific Northwest Regional a training centre for MOLO and LFG was held leading up to the Symposium. The Training Committee business plan is encapsulated on the new BC Chapter website and outlines an annual delivery program that travels across the province.
• This year BCQLO was held in conjunction with the Southern Interior Waste Managers Conference.
  In addition a new program was initiated allowing delivery of BCQLO courses in an “in house format” allowing trainers to respond to requests of members who wish to receive training in advance of the BCQLO Chapter delivery schedule.
• Details of the Training Committee activities will be presented by the Training Committee.

Goal 7: Increase the number of SWANA certified instructors.

• As part of the BCQLO business plan, criteria and strategies were developed to develop faculty. Details are available from the Training Committee. These were taken forward by the BC Chapter International Board representative in conjunction with the Ontario and Northern Lights Chapter counterparts and a Canadian Faculty plan is hoped to be developed under the direction of the Canadian Representative.
  

Goal 8: Advocate the Requirement of Qualification Standards for Landfill Operations in BC

• The Chapter continues to promote with the Ministry of Environment (MoE) that training in solid waste management should be made a mandatory requirement. The success of the BCQLO program is in large part due to targeting training at the Operator level. MOLO and MOLO certification is always promoted for Managers of landfill operations.
• The Chapter also currently has faculty members that enable it to offers local training in Transfer Station at certification level, and Landfill Gas at an operator level

Goal 9: Promote SWANA BC Chapter to the Minister of Environment and key ministerial staff as a viable partner to assist the Ministry.

• The Chapter continues in its dialogue with the MoE – In 2009 the Chapter developed a key communication schedule with the Ministry of Environment staff allowing for quarterly conference calls to better scope needs, and increase awareness of SWANA services.
• As a direct result of these calls the BC Chapter is working more closely with the BC BioEnergy Network Municipal Collaborative – facilitating development of a special Workshop with the Collaborative and Pacific Carbon Trust on January 13/14, 2010 in Nanaimo.
• In our most recent conference call with the Ministry we were asked to work collaboratively with the BCWWA and the MoE in 2010 on an integrated Waste Management Strategy.  The CRD and Metro Vancouver are already developing integrated solid and liquid waste management strategies and it is expected that other Regional Districts will also consider this as well. 
  

Goal 10: Recognition

• I would be remiss if I didn't take the time to thank Ralph Bischoff, our Executive Director, for the excellent job he did in organizing a very successful North West Regional Symposium in March and the SWANA sessions at the Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo in Vancouver in October.
• Also, a big thank you to the Training Committee and Ralph Bischoff for their excellent work this past year.  If any of you here, or if you know of any colleague, that might be interested in becoming a part of our training faculty we would like to hear from you.

With that I would like to conclude my presentation and open it up to any questions that you might have.