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• FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -11- January 26, 2005 Organized Refuse Collection (continued) Council member Talbot said that people have told him, "I am angry that you would have the temerity to stick your nose into my private business. Give me my freedom of choice." He said it has been his experience that when people are angry, something happened just before they got angry. They got hurt. It has become so common and prevalent today to think that City government believes it has the right to act on your behalf despite your wishes. It is a common perception. It is not the truth. Your representative government is a good government. He is proud to associate himself with these people and glad to have the residents as his neighbors and friends. Don't become cynical. Stay involved. We have a good government. It is something worth cherishing and participating in. But, as he said earlier, he will have to vote tonight to not change the system because it does not rise to the level of government involvement. Council member Kuettel said she wanted to begin by thanking everyone involved in this process: The Solid Waste Commissioners, the residents, the City Council and the staff. Everyone has spent time, effort and energy toward this issue. The fact that so many people are committed to being a part of this process shows her that community spirit is alive and well in Falcon Heights. • Regardless of how the vote comes out this evening, she hopes that this issue, which both sides have been passionate about, does not leave the residents feeling as though they have been pitted against one another. She believes that everyone has a strong sense of community and will continue to support it despite differences. She said she was on the Solid Waste Commission for six years, during the period of time when organized collection was looked at the first time. The present Commission has done quite a bit more research. Again, she thanked them for their time and effort. She believes that organized collection has a place in society. She believes that many points in the study are important and need to be considered. With the City's limited budget, it is the City's role to provide basic services. Is it the City's role to provide the most inexpensive hauler for residents? She does not believe so. She truly believes everyone wants value for their dollar. Those in favor of organized collection believe collective bargaining is the best route. This issue is not only about money. Those opposed to organized collection understand that their tax dollars are used for the repair and maintenance of the streets, and appear willing to choose an open system over an organized system. Many residents cite additional reasons for wanting an open system. The majority of those responding to this issue were in favor of an open system. The preprinted forms from haulers aside, still shows large numbers of residents feeling that they, and only they, know how to find the best deal for the services they require. Implementing an • organized system would stretch City resources by adding another layer of bureaucracy with organized collection. l~