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FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -6- June 23, 2004 Interim report from the Solid Waste Commission on organized collection (continued) Train drivers to enter and exit from alleys with left turns, reducing the damage to curbs and boulevards. Cooperate with residents' or the City's requests not to drive on streets or alleys where they have no customers. In addition the haulers have also informally stated that they could voluntarily do the following: • Allow the City to provide educational material to be enclosed in bills. • Take all garbage from Falcon Heights to the Resource Recovery Facility in Newport. Commissioners are mindful that, without an organized collection contract, there is no way to enforce these voluntary accommodations over time. Research in Progress Truck Impact on City Streets and Alleys (in progress) The number and weight of trucks is the variable that determines how much impact this industry has on our streets and alleys. (Reference: April 20 and May 12 hauler meetings) The haulers themselves • acknowledged this at the May 12 meeting. They agreed that the goal of reducing the number and weight of trucks will not be met under an open system. • They argued that the freedom of the market outweighs this consideration. • One hauler offered the idea of limiting the number of hauling licenses in the City -which can be done without organizing collection. The Commissioners point out that limiting the number of haulers is not necessarily consistent with the haulers' desire fora "free and open competitive market". • Haulers presented evidence the relationship between truck weight and street wear is not simple. Other factors are: number of axles, whether the truck is center-loaded or rear-loaded and how many stops a truck makes. • Haulers have referenced research showing that the number of stops and starts have more impact than the number of trucks. However, in Falcon Heights, the number of stops and starts is the same regardless of how many trucks make those stops. Destination of Refuse (in progress) Most trash in Ramsey County goes to the Resource Recovery Center in Newport. This is an outcome of the Ramsey-Washington County organized collection process in 2002. Commissioners visited the facility in April. • All haulers who operate in the two counties must contract to deliver all their trash or a percentage to the RRF. Some are contracted to deliver all their refuse to the RRF; others are contracted to deliver a percentage of their refuse to the RRF. • Most haulers licensed for residential pickup in Falcon Heights have stated that all Falcon Heights trash goes to the RRF. However, without organized collection there is no way to verify that this is true on an ongoing basis, or to guarantee that it will be true at any future time. • The contracts between haulers and Ramsey County are for a limited term.