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Parks and Environmental Commission Regular Meeting Minutes June 10, 2019 Page 2 1 Ms. Cassandra Palmer asked if there is a timeline to look at the field usage. Mr. Urdahl stated 2 this is an ongoing question that needs to be reviewed and reassessed. The option of limiting 3 use, although not desirable, but may need to be looked at in the future. 4 5 B. Three Rivers Park District Update. 6 7 Mr. Tom Moffat was not present at the meeting. 8 9 C. Curbside Organics Program. 10 11 Mr. Jesse Davis reviewed the Curbside Organics Program in Columbia Heights. Columbia 12 Heights is a contracted City and they pick up garbage, recycling and organics curbside. The 13 City pays $75 per ton for garbage. Last year there was nearly $40,000 in savings by doing 14 recycling and organics. There has been organized collection for yard waste for over 40 years. 15 There was a drop off organics program some years ago for 3 years. There were 300 16 households participating. He provided a list of compost items. Organics was added to the 17 hauling contract. The organics were mixed with the yard waste and increased participation to 18 over 1000 households. A free kitchen kit was supplied when a cart was ordered. Compost is 19 available for residents. 20 21 Commissioner Overman asked how often the organics are picked up and Mr. Davis stated 22 every week during the summer and less during the winter. Schedules are sent out to residents 23 that have the carts. 24 25 Chair Jordahl Redlin asked why St. Louis Park was against the co-mingling and Mr. Davis 26 stated the MPCA has regulations for the composters. The MPCA is reviewing their 27 regulations. Mr. Davis stated Waste Management is the City’s hauler. There needs to be more 28 composters in business. Chair Jordahl Redlin asked if Columbia Heights has looked into a 29 special bag for organics. Mr. Davis stated the hauler has not brought it up. 30 31 D. Tree Plantings along Highway 88. 32 33 Forester Jen Kullgren from Hennepin County reviewed the plans for tree plantings along 34 highway 88. She talked about the benefit of trees. She provided the background of Hennepin 35 County Forestry. There are three project sites for tree planting and indicated the sites on a map 36 for the Commission. They are removing ash trees and replanting them in Trillium Park. She 37 reviewed the tree species selection. She reviewed the sustainable landscape guidelines along 38 with the species list. Ms. Kullgren reviewed the Healthy Tree Canopy Grant program. Cities 39 can get up to $5,000 for a tree inventory or up to $50,000 if a tree inventory is in place. Tree 40 plantings are also done on school properties. More information is available on the website. 41 42 Chair Jordahl Redlin asked what the next step was for the Tree Planting Program. Mr. 43 Hartman stated they will meet in the future with the County. 44 45 46