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Our Mission: To work together to responsibly grow our community, and to provie quality, cost-effective, an efficient government services
<br />CC Regular Session 4. 10.
<br />Meeting Date: 02/11/2014
<br />By: Chris Anderson, Community Development
<br />Information
<br />Title:
<br />Adopt Resolution #14-02-030 to Enter into a Residential Recycling Program Agreement with Anoka County to Receive SCORE Funds for 2014
<br />Purpose/Background:
<br />Each year, Anoka County receives funding from the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board and the State of Minnesota pursuant to Minnesota Statute §
<br />115A.557. The County distributes these funds, known as SCORE funds (Select Committee On Recycling and the Environment) to cities and townships within
<br />the county. In 2014, the allocation includes a base of $10,000 plus $5.00 per household. Ramsey's base allocation for 2014 is $50,670.00.
<br />The funding is intended to help municipalities achieve their recycling goals as established by the Anoka County Board of Commissioners. Ramsey's recycling
<br />goal as established by Anoka County for 2014 is 2,263 tons. The goal is based on 190 pounds per person (single family households, up to four [4] units) and 175
<br />pounds per person for multi -tenant households (five [5] or more units). The City of Ramsey has traditionally used these funds to promote waste reduction,
<br />recycling efforts, and awareness of waste reduction within in the community. The funds have been used to offset costs of the spring and fall recycling day events
<br />and to fund the recycling coordinator position, which duties are a component of the City Planner.
<br />To receive the SCORE funding, each municipality must enter into an agreement with Anoka County that outlines required components of a municipality's
<br />recycling program. These required components, which Ramsey already complies with, include providing households an opportunity to recycle at least four (4)
<br />broad types of materials, a public information program and notifying new residents of the recycling program.
<br />Observations/Alternatives:
<br />This year, there are optional additional funding allocations for targeted programs including monthly drop-off events (at least eight [8] per year), municipal
<br />park/community event recycling, multi-unit/curbside recycling, and enhancement grants. Ramsey is eligible for up to an additional $35,134.00 in targeted
<br />program funding ($15,000 for monthly collection events, $6,000 for municipal park/community event recycling, $6,000 for multi-unit/curbside recycling, and
<br />$8,134 for program enhancements via grant).
<br />Additional funding for municipal park/community event recycling and for multi-unit/curbside recycling would help to continue diverting recyclable materials
<br />from being placed in local landfills. Staff envisions the additional funding for multi-unit/curbside recycling be utilized to purchase six (6) gallon recycling bins
<br />that are ideal for use in apartments as well as to produce targeted marketing/promotional information to increase the recycling rate within multi -unit housing.
<br />The parks recycling program that was implemented in 2013 was a success and resulted in almost one (1) ton of recyclable materials being captured for recycling
<br />rather than be placed in local landfills. Staff would like to utilize the optional funding for municipal park/community event recycling to promote the parks
<br />recycling program more, to offset the cost of staff time to empty the recycling carts (done concurrently with the parks trash runs), and to implement a more
<br />efficient community event recycling program.
<br />The City will be partnering with ACE Solid Waste again in 2014 to offer monthly collection events, similar to what was offered last year. The City will continue
<br />to coordinate the Spring and Fall Recycling Day events (May and September) and ACE will provide monthly collections for June, July and August. This
<br />provides residents and small businesses more opportunities to properly dispose of materials not generally accepted through the curbside recycling program. Staff
<br />met with ACE Solid Waste to discuss the potential for additional collection events and presently, that does not fit within ACE'S business model. Thus, while
<br />there is additional funding available for monthly collection events, we cannot commit to the minimum number of events required. The City's role in the monthly
<br />collection events will continue to be providing the site (Public Works Campus), site set up and take down, and marketing and promotion. These costs can be
<br />absorbed through the City's base SCORE allocation.
<br />Alternative Actions:
<br />Alternative #1. Enter into the residential recycling agreement for the base allocation of $50,670.00 plus an additional $11,000.00 to focus on municipal
<br />parks/community event recycling (for the full allocation of $6,000.00) and multi -unit and curbside recycling opportunities (for a partial allocation of
<br />$5,000.00). Parks and community events are two areas where the City can continue to improve recycling opportunities, which is evident simply by the almost
<br />one (1) ton of recyclables recovered in our parks in 2013. Furthermore, this funding would help target multi-unit/apartment complexes with more recycling
<br />information to increase the recovery of recyclable materials. Both of these areas of focus will assist the City in meeting the 2014 tonnage goal established by the
<br />Anoka County Board of Commissioners.
<br />Alternative #2. Enter into the residential recycling agreement with the County for only the base allocation of $50,670.00. This would allow the City to continue
<br />to promote recycling and waste reduction ideas and coordinating the spring and fall recycling events; however, it would limit the City's ability to pursue new
<br />opportunities to increase recycling efforts that would help the City continue to meet its established tonnage goals.
<br />Alternative #3. Enter into the residential recycling agreement with the County for the base allocation of $50,670.00 plus the full additional funding of
<br />$35,134.00 for target programs. Staff would need to explore how the other components (minimum of eight [8] monthly collection events and enhancement
<br />grant) could be implemented. While there's likely areas that could be enhanced or new ideas that could be implemented with this funding, Staff would have to
<br />research what impact that would have on available staff resources (time).
<br />Alternative #4. Do not enter into the residential recycling agreement with the County. By not executing this agreement with the County, the City would not
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