Administrative Regulations of the Vaasa Region Waste Management Board

1 § Area of Responsibility 

The Vaasa Region Waste Management Board is responsible for the municipal waste management authority duties assigned to municipalities under waste legislation, as well as other waste management development and monitoring tasks, in accordance with the valid cooperation agreement governing the joint Waste Management Board. The jurisdiction of the joint Board covers all municipalities that are parties to the cooperation agreement in force at any given time..

2 § Host Municipality

The City of Vaasa serves as the host municipality and is responsible for the administration of the Waste Management Board.

3 § Composition of the Board

The council of the host municipality appoints the members of the joint Waste Management Board for its term of office from among the members nominated by the councils of the participating municipalities. The Board consists of eleven (11) members, each with a personal deputy member. The City of Vaasa appoints five members, the Municipality of Korsholm (Mustasaari) appoints two members, and the municipalities of Isokyrö, Korsnäs, Malax (Maalahti), and Vörå (Vöyri) each appoint one member. Each municipality also appoints a personal deputy member for each of its members. The council of the host municipality appoints a Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson from among the Board members. These positions rotate between the Municipality of Korsholm and the City of Vaasa. During the first half of the host municipality council's term of office, the Chairperson represents Korsholm and the Vice-Chairperson represents Vaasa. During the second half of the term, the Chairperson represents Vaasa and the Vice-Chairperson represents Korsholm. The host municipality shall ensure that the composition of the Board complies with the requirements of Section 4a of the Act on Equality between Women and Men. If these requirements are not met, the host municipality may request the municipality that most recently nominated a member to submit a new nomination. The municipality concerned is obliged to appoint a member who meets the statutory requirements without delay. The host municipality shall also ensure that all members have been appointed before the beginning of the term of office.

4 § Meetings and Minutes of the Board

Meeting procedures are governed by the Administrative Rules of the City of Vaasa. The minutes of Board meetings shall be prepared by a person designated by the Board and employed within the host municipality's administrative organization. The minutes of Board meetings shall be made publicly available in all participating municipalities in accordance with Sections 63 and 77 of the Local Government Act.

5 § Presentation of Matters to the Board

Matters shall be considered and decided by the Board based on presentations made by the City Engineer of the host municipality until the position of Waste Management Manager has been filled. If the presenting official is unavailable or disqualified, the matter shall be presented by their deputy.

6 § Administration

The Administrative Rules, remuneration regulations, and other administrative regulations of the host municipality concerning administrative procedures, personnel policy, and auditing shall apply to the Waste Management Board, provided that they do not conflict with these Rules of Procedure.

7 § Duties of the Board

The Board is responsible for carrying out the municipal authority duties relating to the organization, planning, and monitoring of waste management as assigned to municipalities under waste legislation. The Board performs these duties in cooperation with the municipalities within its jurisdiction and with environmental protection authorities. The Board is also responsible for the further development of municipal waste management policy. In addition, it administers the waste transport register for the cooperation area and has the right to obtain information for the register from municipalities, other authorities, and waste transport operators in accordance with the Waste Act. In addition to the duties described above and those set out in Section 8 below, the Board shall carry out any other corresponding waste management authority duties prescribed by legislation. Should waste legislation be amended, the Board shall perform the corresponding duties assigned to municipalities in accordance with the new provisions. The Board monitors compliance with waste legislation and municipal waste management regulations within its area of responsibility and ensures that the necessary information regarding the applicable regulations is provided in cooperation with other authorities and the company owned by the participating municipalities.

8 § Decision-Making Authority

The Board is responsible for and has decision-making authority within its area of jurisdiction regarding the municipal waste management authority duties assigned under the Waste Act, including: 1) Decisions regarding the designated collection point to which waste must be delivered 2) Decisions concerning organized waste transport services 3) Decisions concerning the recovery and treatment of waste 4) Decisions on the approval of municipal waste management regulations 5) Decisions on exemptions from waste management regulations 6) Decisions on the approval of waste management fees and tariffs 7) Decisions on the assessment and collection of waste management charges 8) Decisions on the handling of objections concerning waste management charges 9) Decisions on the reduction or adjustment of waste management charges 10) Decisions on the level of waste management services.                    The Board may delegate its decision-making authority in matters within its competence to the presenting official or to other municipal officials employed by the host municipality.

9 § Obligation to Cooperate

The Board is required to operate in cooperation with the municipalities, environmental authorities, and the company owned by the participating municipalities.

10 § Signing of Documents

Contracts and other documents prepared in accordance with decisions of the Board shall be signed by the Chairperson and countersigned by the Secretary responsible for the minutes.

11 § Other Provisions

These Rules of Procedure shall take precedence over any other rules of procedure of the host municipality. These Rules of Procedure shall enter into force once the decision of the host municipality's council approving these Rules of Procedure has become legally binding. The decision became legally binding on 10 March 2014.