Public Works, Sewer and Water

CITY OF VERONA MINUTES PUBLIC WORKS/SEWER & WATER COMMITTEE MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019 1. The meeting was called to order by Mr. Touchett at 5:15pm. 2. Roll Call: Present: Evan Touchett, Chad Kemp, and Sarah Gaskell. Also present: Theran Jacobson, Public Works Director; Adam Sayre, Planning Director / Interim City Administrator; Jim Ferolie, Verona Press. 3. MOVED by Touchett, seconded by Kemp, to approve the minutes of the May 28, 2019 meeting of the Public Works/Sewer and Water Committee. Motion carried 3-0. 4. Mr. Jacobson provided an overview of curb side services that are contractual or provided by staff. Sayre entered at 5:28pm • Waste Management contracted curb side pick-up regarding Refuse and Recycling. Jacobson presented the following: o Contract terminates end of 2021. o All information is readily available on the website. o Refuse is weekly and includes bulk item pickup curb side. o Recycling is bi-weekly and does not include any additional pickup; all items shall be placed in the cart. o Of the approximately 3,900 stops only 16 stops have an additional refuse or recycling cart that is contracted through waste management on a one year contract for $5 a month. o Staff requested an estimate from Waste Management in late 2018 to modify the recycling from bi-weekly to weekly and that cost was an additional $25 per stop annual. This would be a pass through cost to the refuse and recycling budget of just under a $100,000. o Staff noted the challenges are cardboard and that is the primary inquiry received. Staff always directs residents to breakdown and bundle their cardboard. o Alternative option is to coordinate a cardboard dumpster to be located at public works facility for use by residence and shall breakdown cardboard. Jacobson noted he had coordinated this request with Waste Management and is awaiting a price. o Gaskell noted she would like to see a full recycling drop off location at the new public works facility that requires a permit fee for use. This would help users that have excess recycling and not have an adverse cost to other not in need of additional recycling services. Jacobson noted they would evaluate and include as part of the design and provide future information as the design progress in 2019 – 2020. o Committee mutually discussed that no changes to curb side pick provided by Waste Management should be considered.  Touchett noted the cardboard dumpster would help as this is the largest item(s) that accumulates the recycling cart. Breaking down the cardboard and bundling great increases the efficiency of any resident’s cart. Touchett request any additional information that can be placed on the website would be helpful. • Jacobson noted that staff has been working with waste management as of last week to get additional recycling information.   Kemp noted the lack of numbers with residents with second carts does not support any change for all residents due to the costs.  Gaskell noted she would like to see a full recycling drop off location at the new public works facility that requires a permit fee for use. This would help users that have excess recycling and not have an adverse cost to other not in need of additional recycling services. • Jacobson noted they would evaluate and include as part of the design and provide future information as the design progress in 2019 – 2020 Ferolie left at 5:33 pm • Public works staff curb side pick-up regarding brush, leaf, and yard waste. Jacobson presented the following: o Comparison of multiple communities curbs side services for brush, leaf, and yard waste. o Verona Brush collection is 2nd and 4th week of the month, all brush and tree debris from residents are collected. No size limitation on diameter and pile size. No commercial contractors waste is collected. Two full crews and take two days to pass through City on typical week. Brush can be transferred and disposed of at public works facility during operating hours. • Other communities are: • Monthly with size limitation on diameter and pile • Varies if have alternative drop off site similar to Verona o Verona leaf collection is fall only, from early / middle October to end of November or first snow fall. No pile size limitation. Pickup is weekly. No commercial contractor’s leaf is collected. Primary public works activity, full forces dedicated to service with street sweeping occurring immediately after pickup. Leaves can be transferred and disposed of at public works facility during operating hours. • Other communities are: • Leaf collection in fall • Equipment varied from trailer mounted vacuum or Vacall units • 5 of the 11 communities surveyed picked up leaves in spring  3 of the 5 were contracted and was a pickup in April and May only • Material to be placed in open bags or storage containers to be emptied  2 remaining communities had multiple Vacall leaf collection equipment • One community did not include grass clippings • Varies if have alternative drop off site similar to Verona o Verona yard waste collection is fall only, from early / middle October to end of November or first snow fall with leaf collection. No pile size limitation. Pickup is weekly. Yard waste, leaf, and brush piles are to be segregated for pickup. Yard waste can be transferred and disposed of at public works facility during operating hours. Yard waste bunk at the public works facility is being utilized. For instance, the bin was emptied Friday June 7 in the afternoon and again after Saturday drop off hours (with compaction of the bin and site management), and Monday am the bin was emptied again. • Other communities are: • 5 of the 11 communities do not pickup yard waste. • Yard waste is pickup up with leaf collection • 4 communities pick up with spring leaf collection  2 of the 4 were contracted and was a pickup in April and  May only • Material to be placed in open bags or storage containers to be emptied  1 of 4 remaining communities had material to be placed in open bags or storage containers  1 of 4 remaining communities used a trailer mounted vacuum o Jacobson noted any changes to public works staff curb side collection would require additional equipment and staff. Additional equipment alone would represent capital costs of $125,000 to over $200,000 depending on the type of equipment and process necessary to modify collection. o Residents still place yard waste curb side even when not collected and it is tagged with a flyer. Any spring collection unfortunately would be non-compliant. o Jacobson noted that he has stated previously that we would provide an isolated 24 / 7 brush, leaf, and yard waste bin at the new public works facility policed by video surveillance for compliance. o Committee mutually discussed that no changes to curb side pick-up provided by public works staff should be considered.  Touchett noted the service provided is above what other communities provide, the drop off site is readily available, and that other services would be impacted also from an operations standpoint.  Kemp noted he lived in a community where leaf and other curb side collection required bagging the process was inefficient as compared to unlimited pile sizes available for Verona currently.  Gaskell noted she support the drop-off expansion at the new facility but not additional curb side services. Ultimately, this contradicts sustainability and impacts operations from a street sweeping and storm water management perspective.  Committee thanked staff for the detailed comparison between communities. MOVED Kemp, seconded by Gaskell, to maintain current level of services for curb side pickup. Motion carried 3-0. 5. Mr. Jacobson provided an update on Gateway Pond as staff is waiting on permit requirements from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 6. MOVED by Touchett, seconded by Kemp, to adjourn at 6:00pm. Motion carried 3-0. Note: These minutes were prepared by Theran Jacobson, Director of Public Works. These minutes are based on the notes of the recorder and are subject to change at a subsequent meeting.