Agenda Packets - 2015/08/03 - Laserfiche WebLink

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vi The City values its residents’ input. Bloomington staff will continue to collect resident’s guidance and concerns. Goals and Strategies Resident feedback has been requested on the City’s solid waste management goals and strategies throughout the project. Input received at the second Open House held on January 16, 2014 confirmed the comments provided through other engagement activities. The feedback received emphasized that the most important goals include: reducing road wear impacts; lowering environmental impacts; and improving recycling, composting and waste reduction. Residents also believe that enhancing public education and awareness and assuring that all residents have adequate recycling services are important goals. The Goals and Strategies are individual chapters in the Plan. Environmental Protection The community also strongly believes in environmental protection. Highly-engaged and committed volunteers like the resident group Master Recyclers and Composters, the Bloomington Sustainable Coalition, and the Parks, Art and Recreation Commission confirmed community support for sustainability issues such as improved solid waste management. Environmental protection was a common theme reflected in many of the community conversations, responses to surveys and in the comments on the draft goals and the draft outline of strategies. Organized Collection The City of Bloomington has used a national survey tool that allows the City to evaluate how well they are serving the residents of the community and identify issues that are important to them. The National Citizen SurveyTM of Bloomington residents clearly indicated a majority of survey participants are satisfied with the solid waste, recycling and yard services available within the City. A customized question in the 2013 National Citizen SurveyTM for Bloomington indicated that 63% felt that the potential action to “Organize garbage collection so that only one hauler serves each neighborhood” was somewhat important, very important, or essential to the respondents. The remaining 37% said that organized collection was not at all important. Participants in the community engagement process have been overwhelmingly supportive of organized solid waste collection as a critical aspect of Bloomington’s future solid waste management efforts. The respondents involved in the community engagement process expressed a desire for fewer trucks in their neighborhoods, less noise, fewer road impacts, more safety on neighborhood streets and cul-de-sacs., as well as more organized and coordinated waste education and service delivery. A one-on-one meeting with the City’s licensed trash haulers and their comments at the first Open House provided another perspective on the organized collection issue. Discussions with City Council at study sessions have indicated an interest in exploring how any change to organized collection could be fair and equitable to haulers. For more information or to submit comments about the Solid Waste Management Plan, contact: Jim Gates, Deputy Director of Public Works 952-563-8730 SolidWasteManagementPlan@BloomingtonMN.gov