Task Force to Push for Lower Rates, Less Trash : Waste: East county group vows to cut through divisiveness while complying with state mandates. It will seek limits at Simi dump.

Meeting for the first time, members of a new East County Waste Task Force agreed Wednesday to work together to lower trash rates, meet state trash reduction mandates, and limit the flow of garbage from the west county and Los Angeles into the Simi Valley Landfill.

Members of the group from Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark and the county said a top priority is to comply with a state law requiring them to reduce by 50% the amount of trash dumped in landfills by the year 2000.

Another major goal is to cut through some of the divisiveness that historically has marred Ventura County’s trash agencies.

“We’re all here to help make things run more smoothly,” Supervisor Vicky Howard said. “I think that would be to everyone’s benefit.”

But the city of Camarillo decided not to join the task force, saying it would undermine efforts to form a countywide waste authority.

John Elwell, Camarillo’s director of community services, attended the task force meeting and reiterated the city’s position: “We have a strong interest in monitoring, but not in being a member at this moment. We want to keep track of what’s going on and keep our options open.”

East county officials said they were spurred to form the task force by efforts to create the countywide authority.

The framework of the authority was recently approved by the state Legislature as a way to unite the county under one trash agency to meet state law to reduce trash going to landfills.

Officials from east county cities, however, have said they view the task force as a quicker way to meet state trash reduction requirements.

They said the task force would act as a backup if they decide not to join the waste authority or a safety net if the authority falls through.

Task force members also discussed a report detailing the structure of the new authority.

The management study is the first step in fulfilling the requirements laid out in legislation for formation of the authority.

In addition, the law also directs trash officials to conduct an audit of all trash functions in the county and formulate a workable waste authority plan by July.

To be implemented, the plan needs approval by the end of December, 1994, by the Local Agency Formation Commission, County Board of Supervisors and at least seven of the county’s 10 cities.

The director of the county’s Solid Waste Management Department told the task force that formation of the authority is proceeding on schedule, but admitted that the plan could easily be derailed.

“It is going to be a difficult timeline to meet,” Kay Martin said. “Someone has to put all the pieces together and then, God forbid, we all have to agree on it.”

The county’s Waste Commission, made up of representatives from the county and each of itscities, will consider the report today.