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r~ FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -14- January 26, 2005 Organized Refuse Collection (continued) Council member Lamb said we are trying to uphold them, even though we are yielding on the principle of organized collection, or the practice of organized collection. Mr. Carnival said that from the beginning, the haulers have been eager to try and resolve this matter in this way, in an effort to provide the citizens with the choice that they have requested of their haulers, and yet meet as many of the goals as possible, from the City's perspective. As he looked at his clients, he didn't see any problem with including language in the Memorandum of Understanding that provides that they will meet whatever contractual obligations the current haulers in his association have, and he expects that the other haulers have similar agreements for the continuation of those agreements for the benefit of the community. Mayor Gehrz said she knows the City cannot make a specific destination of the trash part of the licensing of haulers. She asked City Attorney Knutson if there is any legal problem with including that in a Memorandum of Understanding with the haulers. City Attorney Knutson said • he doesn't see any problem with including this in the Memorandum of Understanding. Council member Lamb said that three of the haulers who operate in Falcon Heights take all of their refuse to the Newport Resource Recovery Facility and three take a negotiated percentage or tonnage, with the contracts enforced through 2007. Public comment Mr. Ray Garcia, 1906 Prior, said he thinks it's a mistake to require the haulers to take their trash to Newport. The reason that most of these haulers went to Wisconsin was because the dumping fee at the Newport facility was over $60.00/ton. Now the dumping fee at Newport has come down to less than $30.00/ton. If the City requires the haulers to take all of their trash to Newport, the City is trading away the only bargaining chip it has. This doesn't make any sense. Mr. John Ring, 1364 Idaho, said that requiring the haulers to bring their trucks to the City empty is wasting fuel. When the alleys were done, didn't you all say the trucks weren't going to harm the alleys at all? That is an implied damage business here. He agrees with the previous speaker. A captive market is a bum deal for the citizens almost always. Mr. Will Rogers, 1947 Autumn, said it is his understanding that the Newport facility bonds will be paid off in 2007. The money paid in would then be profits. They don't want contracts beyond that. The City's report says that seventy-eight percent of the waste goes there right now, • so the only thing you are accomplishing is to tie them up. Let the market speak for itself. IS