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FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES March 24, 2004 -9- Refuse Collection -Public Hearin on Resolution of Intent (continued) Mr. DuFresne asked how you would feel if you were a small business, an auto repair shop or a lawn care service, and spent 16 years building a small company with employees? You have a mortgage on a little building and have a couple people working for you, a couple of mechanics. Then someone in the City decides there are too many cars sitting around all of these car repair shops or all that dripping oil is going in the storm sewer. We could have an environmental disaster on our hands. We're going to have one repair business in the City. So they put out an RFP. You try. You put that bid together for them. Now the City is going to walk in and say that all of those customers, all of those clients, have to be turned over them. That is where we are. How does he go back and tell the young people who have worked so hard to give them good service that their job is in jeopardy. He said his grandfather wasn't a very educated man. He was a farmer. He said that with equipment you oil it, grease it, and take care of it, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Helen Foster, 2190 Folwell Avenue, said that she is o.k. with BFI. She is generally o.k. as long the refuse collection and disposal is environmentally o.k. She composts in her backyard and hardly any trash goes out. They have a one car garage with two vehicles and recycling really backs up in the garage. She would like weekly recycling pick up. Frank Meah, 1597 Hollywood Court, said he has been a resident of the City for 33 years, is an environmental engineer by profession, and a member of the Solid Waste Commission. He came from Burma where they were governed by Army dictators. He highly appreciates the freedom of choice in this great country. He described where Hollywood Court is located-behind the TIES building and a State Fair parking lot. There is limited access to Hollywood Court, which has eighteen houses, nine on each side. He once counted 12 refuse collection companies plus recycling trucks in their neighborhood, and he expressed concern about access and safety for residents. Cars can be blocked in from both sides. Three years ago he paid $1,700 for alley repairs because of wear and tear. Since his neighborhood has chosen one hauler they have one refuse truck each week and a recycling truck every two weeks. This was a wise choice and he is very proud of his neighborhood. Kevin Silverstein, 2108 Folwell Avenue, said that he supports the proposal. He gave the following ranking of importance to the goals that the Solid Waste Commission had put together. #8 -One of the most important. It will encourage people to reduce the amount of waste they make. #11 -Very important because if people just go for cost, might sacrifice something for the greater good. #5 -The University Grove neighborhood has a single hauler. He suggested individual zones within the City to get better leverage on cost and also save roads a little bit.