Appointed Committees

RECYCLING AD HOC COMMITTEE April 21, 2016 5:00 pm Page 1 Committee Members Present: Borgi Beeler, Kevin Connole, Julie Haro, John Reynolds, Miranda Schuler, Dave Schwengler, Dave Shomento, Jason Sorenson, Shannon Straight, Sean Weeks, Shelly Weppler Members Absent None Others Present: Kelly Matalka, Cindy Hemphill, Shelly Weppler, Nancy Simpson, Josh Wolsky Chairperson Schuler brought the meeting to order at 5:00 pm Review and Accept Minutes Kevin Connole moved to approve the minutes from the April 6, 2016 Recycling meeting, seconded by Dave Schwengler and motion carried. Chairperson Schuler began the meeting by sharing some more information about a suggestion brought up in the previous meeting. Upon further research it appears the MAGIC Fund cannot be used as a resource to purchase recycling bins. The Finance Director shared with the group that MAGIC Fund dollars are used on projects that make an economic impact or create jobs and purchasing canisters does not comply with their guidelines. Public Presentation The Committee agreed, the date for the public meeting will be May 9, 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium, Room 201. Chairperson Schuler stated she has received several more calls against the program during the past couple of weeks and emphasized the importance of getting the public on board with the idea. Jason Sorenson shared his progress on the PowerPoint presentation for the public meeting. It includes information on environmental reasons why Minot should recycle, education on single sort recycling, and benefits of automated trash collection. It was suggested the presentation include several visual aids, particularly, cans the public can see and touch, photos and videos to better demonstrate how the project will roll out. Shannon Straight suggested the beginning of the presentation explain the financial situation the sanitation department faces in currently being under budgeted and the need to raise collection fees. Jason Sorenson and John Reynolds will work together to determine a potential per household cost of getting automation up and running. Mr. Reynold’s research concluded the average cost of waste collection in North Dakota is $14.20 whereas, Minot collects twice each week and charges only $10.18. The collection service is included with the water bill and is currently used to pay down sewer infrastructure bonds. RECYCLING AD HOC COMMITTEE April 21, 2016 5:00 pm Page 2 Some factors to consider regarding expenses include the one-time costs of building the transfer station and purchasing trucks and bins, and the recurring costs of transferring the waste to the MRF in Minnesota. Mr. Reynolds explained the trucks would be purchased in a lease to own contract, where the price would be split over five years and the trucks would last eight to ten years. A possible way to offset some of the costs is increasing tipping fees at the landfill to subsidize garbage collection. The City could also minimize landfill abuse by eliminating the policy of dumping for free with a water bill. Chairperson Schuler explained, during the budget process, it is presented to Council followed by the Committee of the Whole, where citizens are given the opportunity to voice concerns over various aspects of the budget. The goal is to minimize complaints and get enough people on board to support automation and eventually recycling. Mr. Reynolds stated, Mandan implemented recycling in January, increased rates by $5.50 per household and already have a 50% participation rate. There will be a Recycling Committee meeting on May 3rd at 5:00 pm to review the final presentation before the public meeting. Mr. Sorenson will present the PowerPoint. Ms. Beeler said she will speak in support of curbside recycling. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:26 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Kelly Matalka City Clerk