Minutes - Council Work Session - 02/05/2013

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ability to operate in Ramsey with its rules or in other communities where there may be less regulation. He explained that Ramsey has more of an urban environment and the City tries to consistently enforce its standards across - the -board for businesses operating in town. Mayor Strommen asked if anything in the permit standards have changed since B &C got its permit. Development Services Manager Gladhill advised there have been no change to standards under the Solid Waste Ordinance or Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process. He stated within the last year or so, the City has issued a CUP and Interim Use Permit (IUP) following those standards. Development Services Manager Gladhill stated staff has not seen anything that drastically changed and the permit holder was asked to follow the standards in the Code relating to screening and berming but there was still some work to be completed as the winter season started. Staff is tracking compliance for that recently issued CUP /IUP. Councilmember Backous recalled an issue with a competitor of B &C who was performing a grinding operation after certain hours. Development Services Manager Gladhill stated that is the same project in the Industrial District, just west of Bunker Lake Boulevard. He indicated there are three users with a CUP as it relates to this type of operation: B &C, Sauter & Sons, and Commercial Asphalt. Development Services Manager Gladhill stated the City receives a request, from time -to -time, from Commercial Asphalt relating to hours of operation but that is within the bounds of the ordinance and terms of their CUP. He noted the focus of Commercial Asphalt is asphalt and road projects, which is different than the other two users. Development Services Manager Gladhill stated staff has reacted, as it becomes aware, to get noncompliant uses to cease operation and those processes have been followed on any complaint received. Mayor Strommen asked whether all operations are now permitted and the conditions of the permit are roughly similar with exception of hours of operation. Development Services Manager Gladhill answered in the affirmative. Mr. Corsted clarified they are not saying that the folks who currently have permits are the problem as much as there seems to be a business model that has evolved, which is to conduct the project and undercut the existing businesses and then come in and deal with enforcement after - the -fact. That is where the big problems have come in, after - the -fact differential in the way companies end up doing business. Mr. Corsted stated that is not necessarily all on the City, but the model that exists today and what is happening in the industry. Mr. Corsted stated B &C is asking for some relief because the new business model makes it very difficult to continue to operate with the level of costs they have. Councilmember Elvig stated he understands that companies like this come in for one project on site rather than shipping at a facility such as B &C and those companies are getting away with it for 30 days and it results in undercutting B &C's operation. He noted B &C needs to "play the same game" to grind on site and relieve themselves of a permanent site. City Council Work Session / February 5, 2013 Page 3 of 18