Appointed Committees

RECYCLING AD HOC COMMITTEE April 6, 2016 5:00 pm Page 1 Committee Members Present: Borgi Beeler, Kevin Connole, Julie Haro, John Reynolds, Miranda Schuler, Dave Schwengler, Jason Sorenson, Shannon Straight, Sean Weeks, Shelly Weppler Members Absent Dave Shomento Others Present: Kelly Matalka, Shelly Weppler, Jody Wright, Mia Dillard, Dan Jonasson, Sue Greenheck, Jill Schramm, Josh Wolsky Chairperson Schuler brought the meeting to order at 5:02 pm Review and Accept Minutes Borgi Beeler moved to approve the minutes from the March 23, 2016 Recycling meeting, seconded by Dave Schwengler and motion carried. Commercial Recycling Upon questioning by Chairperson Schuler, Ms. Beeler stated Kalix receives about 2,500 total ton per year in recyclables from commercial businesses, most of which is cardboard. Of that, about 500 tons come from Minot. If the goal is to decrease the amount of waste in the landfill, it may be beneficial to focus on commercial since a majority of their garbage is going to the landfill. Mr. Reynolds, Sanitation Superintendent, explained, the City does not collect from commercial businesses. A third party picks up at those locations and then takes it to the landfill for a $36 per ton tipping fee. Chairperson Schuler asked how the fee in Minot compares with other cities and if it is enough to cover landfill expenses. Mr. Reynolds replied by saying, Mandan charges $46 per ton but so far the budget has been sufficient for Minot at our current rate. The Minot landfill takes in waste from six surrounding counties and if the rate were to increase it may deter companies from travelling a longer distance to dump in Minot. Chairperson Schuler reminded the committee, this process will need to be broken down into phases. The first step will be to implement automation, next we can launch recycling within city limits. It may take a couple of years to get everything in place so after the process is settled, the City can look into expanding the area and implementing commercial collection. She explained, the public has already begun voicing their concerns over a possible $5 increase to their collection bill. Mr. Straight stated, the public needs to be made aware of all of the potential benefits of automation in order for them to understand why the rate increase is necessary. The City of Minot needs an update in the sanitation department to bring them up to speed with current technology. Automated trucks will reduce RECYCLING AD HOC COMMITTEE April 6, 2016 5:00 pm Page 2 the number of workers compensation injuries. The stronger cans will reduce the amount of waste drifting around neighborhoods and create a cleaner atmosphere. Mr. Reynolds explained the current rate does not cover the costs in the department and it uses excess funds from the landfill to get by. He continued by saying, there has not been a rate increase since 2008, when it was raised by about $1, however, the budget between 2015 and 2016 increased by $200,000 without changing the rate. Ms. Weppler pointed out that if the rate is increased at the same time as the implementation of recycling, the public perception will be that they are paying extra in order to recycle and there may be some hesitation to get on board. Chairperson Schuler mentioned a system called pay as you throw, where households could have different sized cans depending on the amount of waste they produce and could therefore pay different rates. Mr. Reynolds agreed, that is an option, but said it would be difficult to figure out which sizes to buy and is tough to manage when a household pays for a smaller can but needs to upsize to the larger ones. Jason Sorenson, Assistant Public Works Director, gave an update on the status of the landfill. He stated, the City is working with CPS, a consultant, to come up with solutions for the diminishing amount of space. He explained, their attempts to expand by purchasing surrounding land have not been successful. The landfill was started in 1993 and due to the large growth of the area as a result of the oil boom, the amount of waste increased faster than expected. The current plan is to build out cells 6 and 7, excavate the old garbage and line new cells. In comparison, the cost of a new landfill would be a huge taxpayer expense. It would require the City operate two locations for a length of time while one is being set up and the other is closing down. The current landfill is expected to last another ten years but it is difficult to predict what impact recycling will have on the amount of waste added to the landfill. Currently, it is estimated that 85,000 tons are dumped into the landfill per year, 15,000 tons come from Minot so the surrounding counties contribute a significant amount. Ms. Weppler suggested holding a meeting to inform members in the other counties of the predicament. Chairperson Schuler pointed out the committee will need to have a recommendation to forward to Council before the June Council meeting. Mr. Reynolds stated he has all of the calculations figured out in order to lease automated trucks and cans and has a quote on the cost to transfer to a MRF in Shakopee. He still needs more information on building the transfer facility. Mr. Weeks of Ackerman Estvold, gave his estimate the building would cost about $85-$100 per sq. foot which would equate to $900,000- $1 million. Mr. Schwengler, of Houston Engineering said, the company recently worked on a similar structure and would have the final numbers from the construction available soon. Some options were discussed as ways to fund the additional expenses. Mr. Reynolds estimated the City could earn $20,000-$25,000 if they eliminate the option to dump at the landfill for free with proof of a water bill. He explained, the policy is often abused by contractors avoiding the tipping fee. Another option is to increase the tipping fee. Mr. Reynolds will look into average prices in the area. Alderman Connole suggested, depending on how the policy is phrased, the cost of the cans may be able to be financed through the MAGIC Fund. RECYCLING AD HOC COMMITTEE April 6, 2016 5:00 pm Page 3 Public Meeting Chairperson Schuler explained the importance of having public support when submitting an expense to the budget. Setting up a public meeting will be a priority in order to educate citizens in Minot on the need for automation and the idea of single sort recycling. The date of the public meeting is to be determined based on room availability in the Auditorium. It was decided there will be another meeting April 21st to assemble a presentation. Suggestions to present include showing a video describing the sorting capabilities of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), describing the benefits and misconceptions of automation, and showing what can and cannot be recycled. John Reynolds and Jason Sorenson will put together a presentation. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:13 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Kelly Matalka City Clerk