HomeMy WebLinkAbout01 - CC Report solid waste ordinance UpdateSTAFF REPORT
DATE: 06/14/2022
CONSENT
TO: City Council FROM: Julie Johnson, City Clerk & Rebecca McGuire, Deputy Clerk AGENDA ITEM: Solid Waste Ordinance Update REVIEWED BY: Sarah Sonsalla, City Attorney
INTRODUCTION: The City participates in the Washington County Recycling Grant Program and receives
approximately $10,000 per year. Updating the City’s solid waste ordinance was included in the work plan approved by Washington County. ISSUE BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL: The City Council is being asked to review and consider proposed amendments to the City’s solid
waste ordinance. DETAILS/ANALYSIS: Each year the City submits a work plan to Washington County as part of the Recycling Grant program. One task in the current work plan is to update the City’s solid waste ordinance.
Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment contracted with Foth Infrastructure and Environment to assist the City with proposed updates. Foth provided assistance with updating the language in the ordinance and suggested updates that would better follow Best Management Practices and the GreenStep Cities challenge program. Staff met with
Washington County Environmental Specialist Max Dalton and a representative from Foth on
multiple occasions to discuss suggested updates and we have incorporated some of those suggestions into a draft update to the City’s code of ordinances. There are a few areas staff would like Council to discuss and provide input for use on a final draft ordinance update:
• Collection days: Currently the city does not limit residential haulers to a particular day of the week for collection. Staff contacted current haulers working
in the city and found that most collect on Thursdays and one hauler services part
of its customers on Monday. Limiting collection to certain days of the week
would limit truck traffic on city streets to certain days and reduce the appearance of waste receptacles at the curb on multiple days of the week. It could also cause some increased cost to the haulers that would be passed on to residents as it can be complicated to plan routes and make sure they can get to the drop off site in St.
Paul with the number of trucks available. (Chapter 5.12.120)
• Recycling: Some waste haulers collect recycling weekly and some collect every other week. If the city does not require weekly collection we could require haulers to provide an additional recycling container at no charge for bi-weekly customers.
(Chapter 5.12.180)
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• Bulky items: Staff has noticed that the illegal dumping of mattresses, furniture and other bulky items in city parks has occurred more frequently in the past year. At the end of April Public Works crews picked up 14 mattresses and a number of furniture pieces that were dumped at Pebble Park. The city could require waste haulers to include pick up of a certain number of bulky items at no additional
individual charge to customers each year to potentially help alleviate illegal
dumping. (This provision would be added in a new section in Chapter 5.12 if directed by Council) FISCAL IMPACT: The City receives approximately $10,000 per year for completing its recycling grant work plan.
ATTACHMENTS: Ordinance No. 2022-04