Minutes - 1992/09/14 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council ~gular Meeting Page Three September 14, 1992 VOTE: 5 ayes 0 nays Motion Carried A. Richard Oman, member of the Environmental Quality Task Force gave a presentation on the recommendation made by the Environmental Quality Task Force regarding findings from a garbage and recycling study. Oman stated that the recommendation was to have an open hauling system set up in a one zone system with a single recycling hauler. • Oman stated that two things have to be considered. One, would be that the Ramsey County Solid Waste Master Plan requires that the cost of recycling be shown as a separate billing. Further stated was the fact that recycling needs to be in a position of importance. The goal of the Ramsey County Master Plan is to have recycling to 50$ by 1996 and to have recycling stand on its own merits and its own costs. Oman stated that the Environmental Quality Task Force was instructed to study certain objectives set by the City Council. Oman stated that the City has to promote public education on recycling, promote composting of yard waste and organic food waste. Recycling of waste through the use of single haulers would be preferably paid for on a per ton basis. Everyone should be able to recycle and that there are ways that the mobile home and apartment dwellers could be brought into the system. Oman stated that the benefit of an open hauling system is the competition among the haulers. It is possible for a person who does a lot of recycling to go down to a bag rate for $2.50 per bag. By keeping an open hauling system, the bag rate is a low cost way of complying with all requirements of the mandate. The Task Force agrees that it would be desirable to keep the lowest cost methods of dealing with waste. Oman also stated that the open hauling system gives the residents the freedom of choice where a single hauler system does not. Oman commented that placing the city in a zone system would mean that all solid waste and recycling would be collected on the same day. It is an easy .process for the residents. The open hauling system was deemed the best option by the EQTF. The haulers had no objections to this program. Other cities effectively use this type of collection with a separate hauler for recycling. It is important, however, to keep recycling at the top of the list. Oman stated that it is beneficial to keep garbage hauling in the private sector and billing by the hauler. The cost for recycling can be determined by the number of tons collected. The current level on a percent basis is a cost Less than $12 per year. The cost could increase to $15 per year if the City can improve its level of recycling.