Number
111628
Version
SUBSTITUTE 1
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. HINES
Title
Substitute resolution directing the Division of Intergovernmental Relations-Department of Administration to seek uniform statewide solid waste regulatory reform for dealing in discarded, salvageable and recyclable materials.
Analysis
This resolution directs the Intergovernmental Relations Division-Department of Administration (IRD) to work with the appropriate state agencies and the Wisconsin Legislature to establish minimum standards for solid waste collection, transportation and processing that includes uniform statewide record-keeping and reporting requirements for discarded, salvageable and recyclable materials including ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
The resolution also directs the IRD to work with the Office of Justice Assistance- Department of Administration and the Wisconsin Department of Justice to promote implementation of regional and statewide electronic record reporting and data systems for transactions involving secondhand dealers and discarded items such as metal, construction materials and vehicles submitted for parts or scrap.
Body
Whereas, The Common Council has found that the collection and recycling of discarded materials promotes the health and safety of the city and increases the desirability of the city as a place to establish and conduct business, and as a place of residence: and
Whereas, The Common Council has further found that recycling businesses contribute to economic growth and manufacturing and therefore licenses and regulates the collection and dealing of discarded junk, including ferrous and nonferrous metals, within the city to promote public health and safety, encourage new business and manufacturing, improve the environment and reduce crime, including the unlawful conversion of stolen properties; and
Whereas, The orderly and safe collection of discarded items, including discarded metal products, within the city is particularly susceptible to local regulation unlike the transportation and dealing of discarded items which require local, regional, state and inter-state monitoring and regulation; and
Whereas, The recent downturn in the economy, especially in the housing market, has contributed to an increase in burglary and theft involving materials such as construction supplies, appliances, plumbing and other metal products for the purpose of unlawful sale to dealers, metal scrappers, junk processors and others; and
Whereas, These acts of burglary, theft and vandalism often leave vacant and abandoned buildings stripped and vulnerable to weather and fire contributing to neighborhood blight, additional crime and safety concerns; and
Whereas, Secondhand dealing and processing of metals and other products has included stolen vehicles sold for scrap and parts including vehicles taken from one local jurisdiction and sold in another; and
Whereas, Lack of effective minimum standards for processing and reporting the exchange of discarded items, scrap metals and vehicles at statewide and regional levels creates a substantial obstacle to detection of criminal activity and apprehension of offenders; and
Whereas, Technologies have been demonstrated to be effective within the city for reporting transactions and detecting and preventing unlawful dealing in discarded items, including scrap metal, but are not available or used consistently across the state or throughout Southeastern Wisconsin; and
Whereas, The Office of Justice Assistance-Wisconsin Department of Administration (OJA), provides support for development, maintenance and coordination of communications technologies including electronic data-sharing by local law enforcement agencies; and
Whereas, State regulation of the transfer of titled and registered vehicles does not currently provide sufficient safeguards to assure that vehicles are transferred to junk dealers, wrecking yards and scrappers upon proper authorization of vehicle owners; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Intergovernmental Relations Division-Department of Administration (IRD), with the cooperation and assistance of the Milwaukee Police Department and the Department of Public Works, seek state regulatory and statutory measures to accomplish the following:
1. Establish statewide minimum standards for record-keeping and for reporting transactions involving the purchase or transfer of discarded salvageable and recyclable items including ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
2. Support the development and operation of systems for data-sharing among local, regional and state law enforcement agencies that will allow the identification and tracking of materials susceptible to theft and conversion in salvage and recycling operations such as the Northeastern Wisconsin Property Reporting System (NEWPRS) currently utilized by the Milwaukee Police Department.
3. Establish statewide holding-periods for property prior to processing in salvage and recycling operations that may destroy identifying characteristics.
4. Establish requirements applicable to all motor vehicle salvage dealers to assure lawfully authorized transfer by certificate of title or, when transfer by certificate of title is not possible, upon the following:
a) Presentation of seller's verified identification as owner or authorized seller.
b) Retention of a copy of the identification provided by the seller.
c) Application by buyer for a confirmation number from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) or a participating municipality using the seller's identification information and the vehicle's identification information.
d) Retention of the confirmation number and inclusion of the confirmation number on the bill of sale.
e) If the vehicle was previously sold for wrecking or salvage, recording all previous numbers received, as verified by the DOT, on the bill of sale.
; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the IRD work with other jurisdictions, appropriate state agencies and the Wisconsin Legislature to develop rules, guidelines and necessary legislation to implement the purposes of this resolution including approaching and coordinating efforts with the:
1. DOT in developing rules and regulations for the lawful sale, purchase or transfer of motor vehicles.
2. The Wisconsin Department of Justice and the OJA in developing, coordinating and supporting regional and statewide minimum recordkeeping requirements for transfers of discarded materials and recyclables, including ferrous and non-ferrous metal items and salvage vehicles, and data reporting systems permitting effective tracking of materials by local law enforcement agencies.
3. The Wisconsin Legislature as appropriate where the purposes of this resolution cannot be adequately accomplished through agency rule, regulation and direction.
Requestor
Drafter
LRB136130-2.1
Richard L. Withers
3/20/2012