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07/20/2004 - 00028044CITY OF FRIDLEY ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING JULY 20, 2004 C � L' \ � � C � Z � ] :7 � ] � :7 i Chairperson Johns called the July 20, 2004, meeting to order at 7:43 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Barb Johns, Jack Velin, Anne Andrews, and Paul Westby Members Absent: Rich Svanda and Barbara Kovacic Others Present: Julie Jones, Environmental Planner /_\��:ii��%\�i7�_\�:71��i�►�iI�L��►D/l:ii7►1►�il�►��_\��1�L\���'E:?��►1�:iH'�K�]►�il►�il��y[�7►�►�ill►l�j��� MOTION by Velin, seconded by Andrews, to approve the April 20, 2004, Environmental Quality & Energy Commission minutes, as written. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JOHNS DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. NEW BUSINESS: a. New Commission Member Ms. Johns welcomed new commission member, Paul Westby, who was attending his first meeting. Ms. Johns explained who the current officers are and normal meeting procedures. b. Review of BFI Curbside Recycling Contract Proposals Ms. Jones summarized the information provided in the packet regarding three alternative proposals from BFI to extend the curbside recycling service contract. She explained that the City has received good service from BFI and is interested in extending the existing contract. The City is in the position currently where we could extend the contract with BFI or solicit proposals from other companies. When staff had suggested at the last meeting that the City is in a good position to negotiate an extension, including revenue sharing, the Commission supported that approach. Staff has received three alternatives for extending the contract 3-5 years with a 2% increase annually, all keeping the same weekly, two-sort system. The Option 1 proposal is to keep the fee structure the same with no revenue sharing, which BFI is willing to do for the current monthly per household rate of $2.18, Option 2 would include 50% revenue sharing at a rate of $2.28, and, Option 3 includes 100% revenue sharing at an increased rate of $2.40. The unique part of the revenue sharing proposals is that the City would not take the revenue share as cash or a discount off of our monthly invoices as other cities have done. Instead, the value of the revenues would accumulate in a service credit account. It would be set up with an anniversary date, and the City would have a certain time frame beyond the anniversary date to have BFI perform extra services to expend the value of the credit account. Mr. Westby asked what some of these services might include. Ms. Jones explained that exact service options have not been detailed yet, but some ideas that have been debated include: curbside or drop ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MINUTES July 20, 2004 PAGE 2 off collection of electronics, scrap metal recycling at current drop offs, printing and mailing of educational materials, and distribution of materials in recycling bins. Mr. Velin asked how much time the Commission has to review the proposals. Ms. Jones explained that she plans to place this item on the August 9, City Council agenda. Mr. Westby asked if there are any other contractors out there able to provide the service. Ms. Jones replied that there is only one other company that has traditionally bid on our contract, Waste Management. There is now also a non-profit agency Eureka Recycling that might bid on the contract. Ms. Andrews asked about what is expected to happen with the cap on utility bill rates. Ms. Jones apologized for not knowing whether or not the cap is going to be changed or voted on via referendum. Ms. Jones reviewed a spreadsheet with the Commission that showed the potential costs of each option. She also explained a spreadsheet analysis of what the City could expect to receive in revenues. Mr. Westby asked if it may be in the City's best interests to agree to a one-year contract extension with an option to extend another four years. Ms. Jones suggested instead that the City's interests would be better protected by a five year contract extension with an annual renegotiation clause. Discussion ensued regarding the risks of BFI asking for a larger increase at each renegotiation date. Ms. Johns questioned how much utility billing rates would be increased under each option. Ms. Jones explained that they would not increase more than 2% because the City would qualify for more SCORE funds from the County under the higher priced options. After further discussion, the Commission supported pursuing a 3-5 year contract extension with BFI under the 100% revenue sharing option. Ms. Jones said she would investigate the advantage of having the option to renegotiate the contract annually in case the revenue sharing option is not working out. c. Review of County Midyear Recycling Report Ms. Jones reported that curbside recycling totals are down by over 32 tons from the same time period last year. There appears to be a significant downward trend in newspaper, plastic, and metal volumes curbside. Ms. Johns asked if the curbside aluminum totals are being impacted by the schools fundraising efforts since it seems they are collecting aluminum cans more than in the past. Mr. Velin commented that a similar effort has been going on in Columbia Heights near his neighborhood. Ms. Jones said it is unlikely that these efforts amount to more of a reduction in curbside volumes than the previous operation of an aluminum redemption center by the City. She said a scavenger was recently caught and charged for stealing aluminum cans, so that could be an explanation for decreased aluminum weights. Glass and mixed mail weights have increased over last year's figures. Privately reported multiunit rates are about the same as last year. About 10 tons of materials were received at the spring recycling day, which was successful. She explained that the City is right at 50% of their County recycling goal at the midyear point; usually, we are above 50%. The most significant results of the midyear recycling reports show that the City will only capture 68% of potential 2004 Score funds if we proceed with expenses as budgeted. This is because $18,000 in unspent 2003 SCORE funds were carried over into this year. Staff plans to present options to the City Manager for attempting to use at least part of the extra SCORE funds to help offset future expenses as the County has made it very clear that they will not allow cities to carry over the funds another year. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MINUTES July 20, 2004 PAGE 3 Moore Lake Water Quality Report Although, there were no significant water quality changes to East or West Moore Lake in the 2003 report, Ms. Jones recommended that the Commission make note of the suggestion to expand shoreline buffers and discouraging waterfowl by education or a feeding ban in ordinance. Ms. Jones said the Parks staff has attempted to pass a feeding ban in ordinance before and failed. Several amendments are set to go before the City Council this year. One of them includes a waterfowl feeding ban on both private and public land. Ms. Johns felt there will be little support for a waterfowl feeding ban in City Parks. The issue was discussed and debated. The general agreement was that public education, like trail signs, would be a better approach. 2. OLD BUSINESS: a. Discussion of Needs for 2005 Parade Ms. Johns reported that the 1,000 rulers lasted almost to the end of the parade, but that was because there were only two people to hand them out. Ms. Johns suggested getting pencils or magnets again. Ms. Jones said there is no money budgeted for parade handouts in 2005, but it would be an appropriate expenditure for this year's extra SCORE funds. Mr. Velin suggested bringing a promotional catalog to a future meeting for other ideas. b. Update on Multi-Unit Recycling Grant Project Ms. Jones reported that she is currently measuring post-education recycling levels at each of the three project locations one year after pre-education at the buildings began. She wanted to compare results from the same month of the year, July when recycling amounts were measured last year. She said it is too early to determine any results. However, the "No garbage in our recycling carts" education at the Norton Avenue Apartments has made a significant difference. Before the education, the recycling was always contaminated with trash. Most of the time, now, there are manageable contamination problems. There is not much recycling there, but at least what is there is collectable. This has been a hard lesson of the project, she explained. We have always presented the same message to all buildings —"Here is what is recyclable". But, at some locations, we need to take a step back and educate the residents about where their garbage goes. Ms. Jones explained that Eureka Recycling felt that the door-to-door distribution of paper bags and recycling information at Springbrook Apartments was ineffective. However, Jones felt the recycling carts were much less contaminated with trash and plastic bags in most locations. c. Update on Springbrook Watershed Implementation Project Ms. Jones reported that the Springbrook Watershed Advisory Committee decided not to pursue application of MPCA CWP continuance funds in May since only two of four cities involved in the project favored pursuing more funding. The City of Blaine did not favor the continuance because the plan for the funding was to reduce storm water flows from Blaine into Coon Rapids, and the City of Blaine did not feel they had a land area big enough to develop a worthwhile storm water treatment project within their part of the watershed. The Spring Lake Park representative at the meeting did not favor the continuance application since there was already uncommitted MPCA funds available that need to be spent by June 2005. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MINUTES July 20, 2004 PAGE 4 Following this decision, Fridley staff inet with the engineering consultant to brainstorm about potential uses within the City of Fridley portion of the Springbrook Watershed for the undedicated CWP funds. Several possible projects were explored. All required additional detail on topography of the Nature Center, however. The topography study completed by ACD was not detailed enough for the engineering consultant to work with, so they suggested purchasing data available from another private surveying company. At a June 30, Advisory Committee meeting, the approval was given to WSB to obtain the topography data and design options for stream bank restoration and possible other storm water treatment options around Springbrook Apartments. The Advisory Committee is expected to meet again mid-August to review information from the engineering consultant. The Wetland Drawdown Subcommittee has finalized the Springbrook Wetland Management Plan and has submitted it to the DNR for approval. The Advisory Committee has also given staff the directive to have another Yard & Garden event at Springbrook in 2005. Update on Commission Opening Ms. Jones reported that the commission still has one vacant position that needs to be filled. She has asked the City Manager to publicize the opening in the City Newsletter again to attempt to get some applicants. K��� �: I�:� =1��� I 0 I��3a Mr. Westby commented that lawn care companies are often applying chemicals right before a rain storm along the river. He wondered if there was any way to regulate where and when these types of chemicals are applied in the City. After further discussion, it was decided to continue the discussion at the next meeting. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Velin, seconded by Andrews, to adjourn the meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JOHNS DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE JULY 20, 2004, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:34 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Julie A. Jones Staff Liaison