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Home My WebLink AboutCouncil Information Memorandum 04-27-1989CITY OF PLYMOUTR CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM April 27, 1989 RECYCLING CASH DRAWING April 27: No Winner Next Week: $200 Cash Award UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS..... 1. WASTE TRANSFER STATION MEETING -- Monday, May 1, 4:30 p.m. The Plymouth Business Action Association will meet in the City Council Chambers to discuss the Plymouth Solid Waste Transfer Site. Meeting announcement attached. (M-1) 2. COUNCIL STUDY SESSION -- Monday, May 1, 7:00 p.m. Council Study Session in City Council conference room. 3. COUNCIL MEETING -- Monday, May 1, 7:30 p.m. Regular City Council meeting in City Council Chambers. 4. BOARD OF REVIEW -- Monday, May 8, 7:30 p.m. The Council will convene as the City's Board of Review in the Council Chambers. 5. CALENDARS -- Meeting calendars for May and June are attached. (M-5) 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD. PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447, TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800 CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM April 27, 1989 Page 2 FOR YOUR INFORMATION... 1. PLYMOUTH METROLINK - MARCH REPORT -- Shown below is a table for March 1989 displaying our average daily ridership for the commuter/reverse commuter, internal circulator and total system for each week. Also is a table on year to date averages in each service area compared with the target to be achieved. For the first time, the "Total System" column includes transfer passengers. To compare with previous years, the column "Without Transfers" should be used. Actual ridership is reflected under the "With Transfers" column. MONTHLY PLYMOUTH METROLINK DAILY RIDERSHIP AVERAGES BY WEEK BY SERVICE TYPE MARCH 1989 Total System SERVICE TYPE With Transfers YEAR TO DATE RIDERSHIP AVERAGE 474 Total System 521 Commuter/ Internal Without With 458 Reverse Commuter Circulator Transfers Transfers WEEK OF: 3/1 - 3/5 3/6 - 3/12 3/13 - 3/19 3/20 - 3/25 3/26 - 3/31 521 543 436 406 430 30 44 30 67 39 551 `` 587 466 Y 473 469 591 632 638 632 623 ------------------ MONTH LONG ------------------ ------------- --------- ---------- AVERAGE 467 42 509 623 YEAR TO DATE Item Commuter/ Reverse Commuter Internal Circulator Total System Without Transfers With Transfers YEAR TO DATE RIDERSHIP AVERAGE 474 40 521 559 TARGET 413 45 458 % OVER/(UNDER) TARGET 14.7% (11.1%) 13.7% 22% CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM April 27, 1989 Page 3 A number of observations are in order: 1. Internal circulator ridership in March averaged 42 passenqers per day, or 11 percent below the target of 45 passengers per day. 2. The commuter/reverse commuter portion of the service qained in March with an average of 467 passengers per day, as compared to 461 passengers per day in February. 3. The total system target of 458 passengers per day was exceeded by 63 at 521 passengers per day. Compared with March 1988 figures, total system ridership on average has increased by 47 passengers per day. Beginning with the April ridership statistics, the above reports will be amended to reflect both the Metrolink and Dial -A -Ride systems. Attached to this information memorandum, is the preliminary report from Morley Bus Company on the kickoff of the Dial -A -Ride service for Plymouth. (I-1) DA31-Y RHERSW AVHWES BY HWM FOR CV -J MWR BEARS 19% -1969 gRViCE TVPE Canniter/ B*mnal Total Reverse Comnrter Circulator System MMM: M: 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 January 330 307 351 429 433 496 21 51 40 47 34 39 351 358 391 476 467 539 February 310 292 350 394 426 461 25 50 47 49 38 39 335 342 394 W. 464 516 March 307 311 338 397 418 467 25 56 64 53 44 42 332 367 402 450 462 509 April 301 295 354 365 408 27 55 44 49 34 331 350 398 414 442 May 295 298 332 350 392 27 36 35 36 39 322 334 367 386 431 amie 276 314 349 358 409 41 53 64 54 41 317 367 413 412 451 Oily 277 297 328 345 361 42 52 62 52 41 319 349 390 397 429 August 266 292 328 345 377 47 57 73 54 55 313 349 401 399 432 Septerber 275 322 354 348 396 32 42 33 33 34 307 364 387 381 436 October 276 312 384 365 430 36 55 40 32 31 312 367 424 397 465 November 271 311 396 398 437 35 57 50 32 33 306 368 446 430 472 December ---------- 265 ---------------------------------- 320 412 391 409 39 52 56 49 35 304 372 468 440 464 YEW LOW -------------------------------- ----------------------------------- AMIV& 287 306 356 374 408 474 36 51 51 45 38 40 321 357 407 419 451 521 CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM April 27, 1989 Page 4 2. RECYCLING PLASTIC - In my last information memo I provided you with information on the City of Minneapolis's new ordinance which would ban certain types of packaging materials. I am now informed that Hennepin County is considering an amendment to their source separation ordinance. According to the plan under consideration, cities would be required to collect plastic as part of the curbside recycling program in order to remain eligible for the County's current cost reimbursement program. The County estimates that plastics can be sold locally for between $200 to $600 per ton, making the properly separated and ground plastic a good recycling candidate. If the County determines to add plastic to the list of recyclables, it is anticipated that the new change would not be effective until after the County's materials recovery facility is operating next year. 3. RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL - PINEVIEW LANE & S00 LINE RAILROAD -- Two years ago the City made an application for the installation of a railroad crossing signal on Pineview Lane at the Soo Line Railroad. At that time, the City was informed that the volume of traffic on the street would not qualify for signalized protection at the crossing. The City again made application for the signal in 1989. MnDOT has informed us that the crossing has been selected to be part of the Federal Railroad Crossing Safety Program. This is the program for which other railroad signal installations within the City have qualified. Under this program, the federal program covers 80 percent of the cost, with the railroad and City equally sharing the remaining 20 percent. At this time, Plymouth's share is estimated at $7,500. According to Fred Moore, the next step in the process is for the railroad to design and construct the signal. Because of labor agreements, the signal is actually installed by employees of the railroad. Fred has been advised by MnDOT that it is very unlikely that the signal would be installed in 1989, but rather scheduled for the spring of 1990. 4. MINUTES: a. Plymouth Advisory Committee on Transit, April 19, 1989 (I-4) 5. METRO PROPERTY TAX COALITION -- The Twin West Chamber of Commerce has joined with twenty other metro area chambers of commerce in distributing the attached flier on property taxes. Additional copies of this flier and the Association of Metropolitan Municipality flier on property taxes have been requested for the May 8 Board of Review. (I-5) 6. RESIDENT FEEDBACK FORMS -- Staff responses to resident feedback forms from the April 10 Town Meeting are attached. (I-6) CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM April 27, 1989 Page 5 7. CORRESPONDENCE: a. Letter from Governor Rudy Perpich urging state and local officials to support efforts for enhancing recycling and waste reduction programs. (I -7a) b. Letter from Andrew Krell, to Mayor Schneider, on the Minneapolis plastic food packaging ordinance. (I -7b) c. Letter to Beth Docherty, from Dick Carlquist, concerning the intersection at 37th Avenue North and Evergreen Lane. (I -7c) d. Letters from Paul Wirtz, 2335 Walnut Grove Lane, and Mark Doepke, 2015 Xanthus Lane, concerning the Reiser property development. (I -7d) e. Letter from Vonnie Wanha, 1174 Weston Lane, to Mayor and Council, regarding the April 10 Town meeting. (I -7e) f. Letter responding to Patrick Hallisey, 4065 Quantico Lane, from Mayor Schneider, on the City Assessor's valuation process. (I -7f) g. Letter from Stephen and Carolyn Ruff, 125 Black Oaks Lane, to Mayor and Council, on the use of the 55391 zip code for their mailing address. (I-79) h. Letter of appreciation to Plymouth Fire Department from Wayzata Fire Chief for responding to a call for mutual aid. (I -7h) i. "BZ" memo from Bob Zitur. (I-71) j. Letter from Jill Binkley, Plymouth student, on the banning of chlorofluorocarbons as aerosol propellants. (I -7j) James G. Willis City Manager 1A- 4 A COMMITMENT OF QUALITY AND INNOVATION TO THE TILE INDUSTRY April 10, 1989 Please mark your calendars and plan to attend a meeting regarding the Plymouth Solid Waste Transfer Site. As you are aware, the location of this facility is #494 and Cty. Rd. #6 and will create many difficult problems to the business and residential communities. This will impact all of us. The Plymouth Business Action Association required the Metropolitan Council to perform a Supplemental Environmental Impact Study. This has now been completed and approved. We feel it is still inadequate. Please plan to attend to have your questions answered. The meeting will be held at: PLYMOUTH CITY HALL 3400 Plymouth Boulevard May 1, 1989, at 4:30 p.m. The speakers will be Mayor Schneider and Leslie Davis. Virgil Schneider, Mayor of Plymouth, will discuss the city's position on the transfer site and the guidelines the transfer site will have to follow. Leslie Davis, President of Earth Protectors, has been following the process from the downtown incinerator to the transfer site issue. He will give us an outline of the process, the impact of these facilities in other cities that have them now, and what is being done by this group. Please R.S.V.P. to Ellen or myself at 559-5531 by 4/28. We hope you and/or your representative can attend this very important meeting. We hope you will encourage any other interested parties to R.S.V.P. also. Any questions, please contact me. Sincerely, Brian S. Mark President, Plymouth Business Action Assn. BSM/ew P.O. BOX 9368 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55440 PHONE (612) 559-5531 FAX (612) 559-6579 2 N m 0 M O LL N M 7 r 00 � N 01 � N N O w n N W 3 N Z ao � O O N W W J r N z w r N i z 7 ago LO � � N N m 00 Q Q - M � N O V N N z M O0 N f N m 0 N H �X-s O S N N M r ao � O O N W W J r N Gam. j OG N Q r z M O0 N f N m 0 N H �X-s o1� 00 Q N I D b � Q W M Q 0 cc LL LO o Z � z wM CC LTJ w LLJa �¢oco¢oLO Q U d O a (/� Ln + O O W C3M C7M z W E Z 0= ICL Z ¢ �— M rLl- m V— F- N of M _Z z o Q 0 N Cn LL- Z: W O F-Q� M O N (0 d7 m � N M w w ° �+oR �� . w CY)^ O D aZ� ►. a N o r7 w� ra P4 H w � a W w U f z OD N O M WFZ �v� Li. 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Acker Street Suburban Paratransit Forest Lake, MN 55025 St. Paul, MN 55117 5701 Normandale Rd (612) 464-8878 (612) 227-9507 Edina, MN 55424 (612)929-6922 April 19,1989 TO: Frank Boyles, Asst. City Manager and Plymouth Transit Advisory Committee FROM: Matthew Peterson Manager, Morley Bus Company RE: Prelimingry Report of Kickoff of Dial -A -Ride Service for Plymouth Dial -A -Ride Operations Report Plymouth Dial -A -Ride (DAR) is up and running. After the first three days of service the system appears to have set a trend of building demand and service distributed throughout the entire service day. Highlights of the first days of operation include: Operations Staff - created a Plymouth DAR data base for daily orders and standing orders. drivers are issued a daily computer generated route sheet/log sheet dispatchers dispatch off of a consolidated master list - The bulk of advance orders are recieved before noon - The new computer list permits dispatchers to immediately confirm or adjust same day orders while riders are on the phone. - Touring of advance notice rides is performed during the late afternoon the day before. - A rough estimate of the distribution of same day orders vs advance notice orders is same day orders 15% advance notice orders 857 - Drivers have reported many compliments on the appearence and comfort of Plymouth vehicles. Only suggestion we are considering is to equip vehicles with step stools to reduce the height of the first step from 14" to about 9". - The two fulltime drivers presently assigned to the Plymouth DAR are: Tom O'shaughnessy , Minneapolis 33 years old (Class B license) Excellent driving record Assoc. Arts degree Lakewood Comm. Clg. Military Service '75-82 Experienced delivery driver Jim Henry, Delano 48 years old ( Class A license) Excellent driving record 20 years over -the -road trucking experience - Service demand has occuppied 11/2 vehicles in afternoon peak, 1 vehicle from 6am -6pm. - At present time the informal marketing campaign of running both program vehicles in service area throughout service day regardless of passenger demand has not been implemented. We will watch initial demand trends and suggest appropriate marketing levels. - Total passengers for 4/17 21 4/18 23 4/19 25 est. REMINDER: Our new address is: Morley Bus Company Suburban Paratransit Division 7334 Washington Ave. Eden Prairie, MN 55344 Phone : 944-5076 --r:- MINUTES —r- MINUTES PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT APRIL 19, 1989 PRESENT: Dennis Jacobson, Nancy Holter, Peggy Galarneault, Sylvia Gustafson, Paul Buharin, Matt Peterson, Frank Boyles I. APPROVAL OF MARCH 15, 1989 MINUTES The Committee approved the March 15, 1989 minutes as submitted. II. REVIEW OF MARCH RIDERSHIP STATISTICS Paul Buharin reviewed the March 1989 ridership statistics for Plymouth Metrolink. While the internal circulator continued to operate at approximately 11% below the target, the commuter/reverse commuter services exceeded the target by 13 or 22% depending on whether or not transfers are included in the figure. For accuracy, he stated that the commuter/reverse commuter figures for 1989 will be reported separately showing transfers included and excluded from the totals. Matt Peterson reported that the Plymouth Dial -A -Ride service was Initiated on Monday, April 17. He summarized a written report which shows that rider demand appears to be increasing. He stated that they have computerized their dispatch function. Same day orders constitute approximately 15% of the total, while the remainder (85%) are advance request. Total passengers for April 17 were 21, April 18 were 23 and April 19 estimated at 25. Service demand has occupied aproximately 1-1/2 vehicles in the afternoon peak with one vehicle otherwise from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Matt stated that ridership statistics will be provided on a monthly basis in the format the City desires. III. FOLLOW. UP ITEMS FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS A. Unit 698 Recheck of; Rear Passenger Door Seal - Passengers reported that the door seal has now been completely repaired. B. 8 a.m. Passenger Pickup in the Park and Ride Lot - The coordination between vehicles at the 8 a.m. pickup is now satisfactory. C. Unit 630 - Window Stuck Opened - Passengers report that the window is now operable. D. Problems Associated with Fare Increase - PACT members reported that they believe that Medicine Lake Lines has done a poor fob in sharing the fare increase information with riders. There was one handout but because system passengers are not five-day a week riders, many missed it. To make matters worse, some passengers are still paying $1.05. Paul Buharin stated that he would re -review the new fares with the drivers. = MINUTES - PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT April 19, 1989 Page 2 E. Park and Ride Centerline - Was it a Problem? - The centerline issue at the Park and Ride lot is only a problem during the first snow of the year. Otherwise drivers appear to do a fairly good job of determining where to park. IV. IDENTIFICATION OF NEW AREA CONCERNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. PACT members expressed concern that the Company had not done a satisfactory job in communicating the fare change and that steps are needed to communicate better. The Company also unilaterally decided to discontinue fare card and token availability through the drivers without advance notice to either passengers or the City of Plymouth. Paul Buharin stated that Marvin Johnson, President of the Company, initiated this change. In retrospect he stated that they acted too hastily and caused problems all around. On April 20, Medicine Lake Lines representatives will be meeting to discuss what their policy will be with respect to fare cards and tokens. They indicate that they will continue to be available to customers but under certain restrictions. The most likely restrictions now appear to be: I. Cash will not be accepted from passengers for security reasons. Instead, a check may be used. 2. A driver may not receive or carry more than $135 worth of fare cards or tokens at any one time. 3. On a bi-monthly basis there will be an accounting with the driver to balance fare cards to receipts received. Paul stated that the Company would publicize this information to Metrolink passengers within the next two weeks. He stated that Pare cards will also be available for purchase from three more employers and suggested that fare cards also be made available from the City. Paul said he would follow-up with this. Sylvia Gustafson stated that she is a Plymouth resident served by the County Road 6 and 101 route. Because of the service to "outstate" residents from the Medina Park and Ride lot, Plymouth residents must wait 5 to 10 minutes daily for their minicoach to arrive at 5:08 p.m. She stated that 5 to 10 Plymouth residents are being inconvenienced to provide service to 7 people from Medina. She stated that it is not equitable since Plymouth taxpayers pay a portion of their property tax dollar to support Plymouth Metrolink but passengers from "outstate" served at the Medina Park and Ride lot pay nothing. --7'- `A MINUTES - PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT APRIL 19, 1989 Page 3 Frank Boyles and Paul Buharin recited previous experience on this issue, indicating that the matter was finally resolved when the driver elected to push a little harder to get to his routes. It may be necessary to evaluate the possibility of establishing another Park and Ride lot at Peace Lutheran Church, the PDQ at 101 and Highway 55, or the church immediately behind the PDQ. Frank Boyles and Paul Buharin will investigate and report possible alternatives at the next meeting. V. DIAL -A -RIDE REPORT Matt Peterson's written Dial -A -Ride report was provided to PACT members. In addition, Frank Boyles stated that a number of marketing efforts have been underway. Two articles have appeared in Plymouth on Parade. There have been cable television announcements both through cable generator and the Northwest Cities Week program. A handout has been provided at the front counter. Announcements have been made at two Town Meetings and there have been local newspaper articles. VI. OTHER BUSINESS. PACT members expressed concern about the two examples of inadequate communication between Medicine Lake Lines and riders. The committee discussed at some length what tools would be appropriate to try to communicate various types of information to riders. The survey could be used to take the pulse of riders from time to time and Medicine Lake Lines has relied upon this with good success in route modification and in soliciting information about equipment maintenance, drivers, etc. A regular newsletter would also be helpful in establishing an esprit de corps with riders, as well as for trahsfering information. The newsletter would be instrumental in discussing fare card information or fare change information, as well as other changes in the service, or even for introducing new drivers or new vehicles. A sign above the driver would also be helpful where simple information such as a fare increase needs to be conveyed in as few words as possible. Finally, if the drivers are kept aware of company policy, they can provide accurate Information to the riders. Frank Boyles and Paul Buharin will report on what steps will be taken in this next month. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. FB:kec Ci T- S Why are these greater Minnesota residents smiling? Because increases propertyin taxes hel theirs. Fact: Over the past se vefal year, the Twin Cities metropolitan area and its albtvbs hose been but with disproportionately higher and higher property taxes, and have received relatively lea and les state support in M419- 1. Moes of all Minnesota property taxpayers 611989 will increase by $246.7 million. Of this $2467 million, taxpayers living in the metro and suburban areas will pay $220 million of that increase, or abaci 89 percent. prdby metro residents: 89% Duluth Home Pay 1988 Pay 1989 Property $20,000 $295.72 $240.52 Taxes $40,`xltl $591.44 $481.04 $50,000 $907.18 $601.30 $60,000 $1,228.62 $843.62 $100,000 $3,119.42 $2,017.06 Sauce: DAAh Qty Amu Same Building, Sane Income, Similar Services �� a �,• .�� 1 ./N OHIO Property Taves paid $20.800 Per Fax S.13 4 .00 ARIZONA Ptope ny Tuxes Paid $67,200 Pd Faa 3.42 MASSACHUSETTS Prapmy Tara NO t97,6W Per Fax 3.61 oi, Im COLORADO Pmpeny Tues Ptid 352,800 Per" S.33 Z S" L. create( Mimlesota will only pay I l percent of the $246.7 million tax increase. In addition, greater Minnesota will receive more than half of the state's aids and crultc So while the metro wx2 is shouldering the burden of the tax increase, homed -nee in outswe cities such as Duluth will see an IS to 34 percent decrease in their property tax bills. 3. A fame in the suburbs having date times the value of a comparabkk non-meuv hone, pays more than fan times the taxes and receives no more services than the non - metro forme. 4. A Bemidji resident Ixrys one4hird kas property taxes ttlarl a Sfwin-view resident with a comparable honoe and the s nw income. But Bemidji will receive ahnKcst twu tunes the amount in state axis for city spending for police, fire, parlor ad streets. The city of Bemidji wall be able to spend $88.17 per capita in police protection, while Shoreview will only spend $20.82. 5. C4KnmercielClydemrial properties in M6ulesota represent 15 pesoeM of total property, values but pay M percent of total property taxes Minresoti has one of the lighest co m ercia udtr5trisl property tax btrdem in the eolmtryc .. , I Aaamptions- 520.000.000 Gran Revenue - 220 Pagloyem 160,000 sy fad d men f=wi% pave _ SoarR: Minaeou 0"00 of ft National Auueidwx of1.d—Wrad Office Parks J--y11.19ra - tic — ..�3 . S m Q m w CO t3 rD What is Being Done to Correct This? Twenty metro area chambers of commerce representing more than one million people in 60 communities and 8000 businesses, have joined together as the Metro Property Tax Coalition. The coalition believes: 1. Minnesotans with comparable homes, comparable incomes and receiving compa- rable services should pay comparable taxes. 2. State government must reduce spending to a rate consistent with personal income and at the same time cut taxes. 3. Commercial/Industrial property should pay taxes based on their actual market value, not on inflated value. Tax increases should be similar to increases in residential property and not exceed inflation. Call for Action The coalition is asking legislators in the 1989 session to stop the discriminatory practice of using state aid formulas to increase property tax burdens on metro communities while shifting more and more property tax relief to other parts of Minnesota But they need your help. Contact your legislators and let them know how you feel about the annual increases in your property taxes. Call 296-2146 to get the name and address of your legislators and call or write today. April 21, 1989 lWinN*st CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Woodside Office Park 10550 Wayzata Boulevard Minnetonka, Minnesota 55343 (612) 540-0234 g 101 Abri. 241994' CITY U i l� iri�u I tt .j Dear TwinWest Member, Your property taxes for next year appear to be heading for an 18 increase! You have read about property tax "relief" efforts by the Legislature, but what they really mean is a reduction of a projected increase -- NOT a true reduction in your property tax payments. The bulk of that "relief" appears to be focused on non -homestead and residential properties not commercial/ industrial! It also appears that the west suburban area will pick up the bulk of the increased taxes. You can help us try and change this trend, but it will take some work. You need to do several things today: 1. Call your legislators that represent your home and business. For their numbers call 296-2146. 2. Call Governor Perpich - he hasn't heard from his constituents, 296-3391. 3. Make copies of the enclosed flier and distribute them to your employees, neighbors and business associates. The decisions regarding property taxes take place the week of April 24th! Your efforts can make a difference. A Sincerely, ' Bill Wilkening Citizens State Banko St. Louis Park TwinWest Legislative Committee Chair 5 1i accseo1Tcn *SERVING CRYSTAL, GOLDEN VALLEY, HOPKINS, MEDICINE LAKE, MINNETONKA, NEW HOPE, PLYMOUTH AND ST. LOUIS PARK 1` 1 f t April 21, 1989 CITY OF PUMOUTR Dale Weeks 520 Narcissus Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Mr. Weeks: Mayor Schneider has forwarded your resident feedback form to me for review and comment. Your questions dealt specifically with the removal of trees in Queensland neighborhood park. I have attached to this letter a memo from Mark Peterson, our Superintendent of Parks, which explains in detail what was occurring at Queensland Park with regard to this tree trimming project. I think you will agree that Mr. Peterson made a wise decision in waiting to pick up the brush piles. On your question dealing with the hiring of contractors, the work being done at Queensland Park was not a contractor. It was a program run by Hennepin County through their jobs training program called the Twin Cities Tree Trust. In situations like this, we provide sites and the County, through this program, provides the free service to the City of Plymouth to do tree trimming at sites such as Queensland Park. All of our other general tree trimming work is done by contract. Each spring a bid specification is put out, and all contractors that are interested in bidding on our work during the year are able to submit their bids. This is done on an annual basis. Contractors have to demonstrate that they have the manpower and equipment to effectively do the work that we anticipate. They must show a track record that they have done the work in the past and that they are bonded and insured for such work. Your last question dealt with public notification. It is our procedure to put a door hanger on all residents' property two to four weeks in advance of when we move into an area for tree trimming on boulevards. A second door hanger goes on all properties one to two days in advance of when the contractor will actually reach that particular block to be trimmed. The door hangers give a name and phone number to be contacted by residents if they have questions about the upcoming tree trimming program. I hope this adequately addresses questions in your note. If you would like to discuss this matter further, I would be happy to set up a meeting with you, the city forester and me at your convenience. Thank you for your time and interest in this matter. Sincerely, J Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EJB/np cc: City Manager Superintendent of Parks and Forestry 340: PLYV, RUTH BOULEVARD. PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 5547. TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800 1 I _ s CITY OF PLYMOUTH+ April 21, 1969 Dale Thies 2620 Garland Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Mr. Thies: Mayor Schneider has forwarded your resident feedback form to me for review and comment. Your question has to do with a vote on the community center project. The City Attorney has advised the City Council that it would be illegal at this time to conduct a public referendum for this project, because its funding source is proposed to be existing cash reserves the City has available. If the City Council wished to bond for this project, which would put the community at large in debt, a public referendum would be required by state statute. The City Council has directed that it is their desire that the community center be as self sufficient as possible. This is being researched during the design phase in an effort to build in such a manner that the fees and charges collected will offset the majority of the operating costs of the facility. It is not practical to capture 100% recovery in that certain areas, such as the senior citizen center, will generate little or no revenue. There will be one more public information meeting to discuss the operating budget 'of the center scheduled sometime in May. Please watch your local newspaper for information on this public meeting. At that meeting, we hope to answer questions about the revenue and expenses of the facility, and what that might mean in terms of the City picking up the additional expenses of owning this building. If I can be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to give me a call. Thank you for attending the Town Meeting. Sincerely, Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EJB/np cc: City Manager 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447. TELEPHONE (612) 5.59-28---D r- .� i r CITY OF PLYMOUTR April 21, 1989 Marilyn Richter 2625 Zircon Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Mrs. Richter: =- Mayor Schneider has forwarded your resident feedback form to me for review and comment. You have requested that we plow the path through Green Oaks park during the winter months to allow children to get to and from their buses. This summer during budget preparation, we will be preparing for the City Council a revised winter trail snow plowing program and the associated costs for that program. At that time, consideration will be given to adding the plowing of Green Oaks park as part of our overall program. Thank you for calling this situation to our attention. I hope that we will be able to accommodate your request. Thank you for attending the Town Meeting. Sincerely, Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EJB/np cc: City Manager 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD. PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447, TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800 'T CITY OF PUMOUTR April 21, 1989 Les McClelland 2720 Garland Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Mr. McClelland: Mayor Schneider has forwarded your resident feedback form to me for review and comment. Your note has to do with the need for a community center within Plymouth. As the City of Plymouth has continued to grow from approximately 30,000 in 1980 to approximately 50,000 in 1989, our needs for many different types of activities have increased significantly. The Park and Recretion Advisory Commission, through discussions with community groups, public meetings and personal observation, felt very strongly that the City had needs within the community for specific facilities. The Commission presented a report to the City Council in the fall of 1988. Since that time, a special community center task force, chaired by Councilman Jerry Sisk, has conducted public information meetings with regard to this project. Although there have been some individuals such as yourself who do not believe there is a need at this time, many other individuals have expressed the desire for new facilities within the community. We do currently make use of many churches, all of the schools, and any other reasonable meeting locations throughout the community to conduct classes and programs. All total, we use approximately 34 different sites within the community. In recent years, due to growing needs in other areas, we have been losing a number of these locations at churches or schools, because of expansions in programs such as Latch Key or other new programs sponsored by the churches within the community. I may not have changed your opinion on this project, but I hope that these thoughts have helped you better understand the research and planning the City has put into preparing for this project. Thank you for attending the Town Meeting. Sincerely, Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EJB/np cc: City Manager 340' PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD. PLYMOUTH. MINNESOTA 55447, TELEPHONE 16121 559-2800 SWA f f CITY OF April 21, 1989 PLYMOUTR Bob Devens 16315 4th Ave N Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Mr. Devens: Mayor Schneider has forwarded your resident feedback form to me for review and comment. Your question had to do with why a swimming pool was selected as part of the program in the new community center. A number of factors have gone into this particular decision. In all recent survey work, including nationally, swimming continues to rank as the number one desired and used program throughout America. Locally, in talking with Plymouth residents, swimming also ranks high as a desired activity. Swimming pools currently in use at the junior high schools are full and have a waiting list of clubs, organizations and individuals that wish to make further use of them. Swimming is a family activity that can be enjoyed equally by the very young and the very old, and not be dominated by an athletic or special interest group. We believe that the siwmming pool will be the most popular and heavily used facility amongst the community center activities. Thank you for attending the town meeting. If I may be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to give me a call. Sincerely, E" Z' 04;- Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EJB/np cc: City Manager 3402 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD. PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 5547, TELEPHONE (612) 559-2E0- f CITY OF PLYMOUTH+ April 21, 1989 Connie McCune 2640 Brockton Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Mrs. McCune: Mayor Schneider has forwarded your resident feedback form to me for review and comment. You have requested that we plow the path through Green Oaks park during the winter months to allow children to get to and from their buses. This summer during budget preparation, we will be preparing for the City Council a revised winter trail snow plowing program and the associated costs for that program. At that time, consideration will be given to adding the plowing of Green Oaks park as part of our overall program. Thank you for calling this situation to our attention. I hope that we will be able to accommodate your request. Thank you for attending the Town Meeting. Sincerely, 7� Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EJB/np cc: City Manager 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH. MINNESOTA 55447. TELEPHONE (612) 559.2800 CITY OF PLYMOUTH+ April 21, 1989 Marsha Videen 1151 Kingsview Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Ms. Videen: Mayor Schneider has forwarded your resident feedback form to me for review and comment. Your question has to deal with the spread of Eurasion watermilfoil in our area lakes. The answer to your question is, yes, we are monitoring the situation at this time. Mark Peterson, our Superintendent of Parks, has been sent to two different training seminars dealing with this specific subject. We will be posting signs at our boat launch at Parkers Lake requesting boaters to make sure that they check their props, engines and trailers for any weeds that may be brought in from other lakes before launching. We are also working with Hennepin Parks staff to monitor Medicine Lake with regard to this subject. Thank you for your time and interest in this subject. If I may be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to give me a call. Thank you for attending the Town Meeting. Sincerely, Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EJB/np cc: City Manager Superintendent of Parks and Forestry 3406 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH. MINNESOTA 55447. TELEPHONE (E12) 559-2800 k` Ore RESIDENT FEEDBACK FORM Please use this form if you have a question or concern which does not appear on the town meeting agenda to which you would like the City to respond and/or investigate. If you provide your name, address and phone number, we will advise you of our actions and findings with respect to your concern. NATURE OF CONCERN/PROPERTY ADDRESS INVOLVED: FW,,1 Dad �prinkl;��g IAF y1�c�7C�Y(S ui1i(1� yvu�v#' Gva*,r d - rnidni' (,c.! ke YNSi4te'Y45 ` OY7 �v a r»idr), l n order lo waYe - �a,�,,4E % �A o-( —ore ;n � vi ot�l� ave �u; , ixc in bc-d , i"s an Y�0-0so749b� . `I`06� 15 �1'�CL� hCL✓IC�I i s �la�i�� C a�i`n u r nod. TD ll'�� Jn �F 511-rrE iG�r�CN �P ?AKE: ACTION YOU DESIRE THE CITY TO C s�d� i� 7�inie ' � ��ih nir� �� - %- CSC ,*n _'7� tb 6r-. �, , oV,04- 7�me 6�1 1170 (5Yi" YiG1� L(,d C D� e'IC�7L v 1 Z�J'0-�-C'0kl -E�Olo &6 cue MdTv;" 7� ice- r&kW r&d NAME OF CONCERNED RESIDENT: -J6M 5 �S ADDRESS OF RESIDENT: Z)Lha,ba,- �q,yk PHONE NUMBER: 559-k/ yet ' c�0 CITY OF PLYMOUTI+ April 26, 1989 Ms. Janis Beavers 2885 Zanzibar Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO YOUR RESIDENT FEEDBACK FORM Dear Ms. Beavers: Thank you for taking the time to submit a resident feedback form at the April 10 Town Meeting. You raised two very timely subjects -- odd/even sprinkling restrictions and property taxes. As you knave, the City has implemented odd/even sprinkling restrictions frau May 1 through September 30. You suggest that the start/stop time be 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. the following day. Unfortunately, while this may work for you, it has the potential for causing confusion and well-intentioned residents to be penalized because they were not watching the clock and forgot to shut the water off at 7 a.m. In addition, we must rely upon local television and radio to get out the message about our sprinkling restrictions. Therefore, the simpler the message, the less the chance that the media will incorrectly report the information. Odd/even restrictions have become a standard that require little or no explanation and thus minimizes inaccurate reporting of the restrictions. Your second concern was property taxes. You are not alone in feeling the pinch. Over the last few years the State has continued to shift the property tax burden to suburbs in favor of outstate Minnesota. Of the estimated $216 million property tax increase for 1989, the suburban metropolitan area will pay all but $7 million of that amount. Outstate Minnesota will pay the rest! It doesn't make sense that an outstate Minnesota home valued at $239,000 generates $550 in property taxes, while a similarly valued home in Plymouth generates ten times more for essentially the same services. For your information, Plymouth is responsible for between 13 and 15 percent of your total property tax bill. F+or that amount you annually receive police and fire services, year-round street maintenance, park and recreation programs and facilities and other typical government services. Over 80 percent of each tax dollar is used by the school district and county to fund their services. I suggest that you join let the Governor and state legislators know about your dissatisfaction with the property tax system. You are also welcome to become 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447, TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800 T- �p part of the budget adoption process for the city, school district and county. For more information on this, contact M- I have enclosed a brochure, "Property Tax Impact Made Understandable.,, Thanks again for attending the Town Meeting and voicing your concerns. Sincerely, Helen LaFave Com uni.cations Coordinator enclosure f .. RUDY PERPICH GOVERNOR April 19, 1989 S'T'ATE OF MINNESO'T'A OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR ST. PAUL 55155 The Honorable Virgil Schneider Mayor City of Plymouth City Hall 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, Minnesota 55447 Dear Mayor Schneider: W AN 26 1989 CITY of Enclosed are two articles from a California journal that I believe should be read by all of our state and local policy -makers. It describes the groundswell of support and the urgent need for enhanced, aggressive recycling and waste reduction programs. As a part of our efforts to make recycling a major element of all waste management strategies in Minnesota, we must be sensitive to the need for markets for recycled materials. Without markets, any effort to expand recycling will be frustrated. So, I am urging all state and local elected officials to review the existing procurement practices in your offices and schools. It is time to act now to convert to recycled office paper, to purchase items that can be re -used, and to seek ways to substitute virgin -based products for recycled products. Our schools and government offices should be "models" to encourage all employees and students to participate in source separation of recyclable materials and above all, to reduce waste so that disposal is averted. I have presented the 1989 Legislature with a comprehensive package to bring Minnesota to the'forefront in our efforts to recycle and reduce waste and litter. The recommendations came as a result of The Select Committee on Recycling and the Environment (SCORE) which included private industry, state and local officials as well as those representing recyling and environmental interests. It is time to enact environmentally progressive laws that will set the solid waste policies for our state. Your participation in the conversion of our citizenry from a "throw -away" to a reduction -recycling oriented society is essential. Government and our schools should set an example and lead the way. Sincerely, RUDY PERPIICH Governor AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER rc. KarNm's m*ssayr out of bask9ts and Into r9cycling c9nters Pigs, paper and politics Recycling waste seems simple, but there are problems galore in implementing a reprocessing program. Even a successful program won't end the need for landfills or waste -to -energy plants. used to say that asking people to separate their garbage was hazardous to an elected official's health.a — Joy Picus, Los Angeles city councilwoman By JOHN RUNNETTE t wasn't that long ago when pigs re- cycled part of Los Angeles' gar- bage. The San Gabriel Valley was farm country then. The year was 1947. The population of the county was just over 4 million people. (It is double that today.) John Runnette is a free-lance writer in Los Angeles. Almost everyone lived in single- family homes then. And utilizing pigs' natural appetite for garbage to produce pork, ham and bacon made sense in an area still conscious of its rural heritage. Forty years ago, most Southern Cal- ifornians still burned their trash in backyard incinerators, then set out the ashes for weekly collection, along with the empty bottles and cans. Another container held kitchen scraps or slop. (These were the days before garbage disposals.) City crews picked up every- thing. The bottles and cans went to scrap glass and metals dealers, the kitchen scraps to the pig farmers of the San Gabriel Valley. But then the pigs suddenly got sick, and tainted kitchen scraps proved to be the cause. Cities stopped collecting food garbage about the same time that pig farms began being divided up for new home developments. Other habits changed too, once war- time reasons for residential recycling faded with victory. Falling scrap prices removed the last economic in- centive. Smoke and foul-smelling air put an end to backyard incinerators. That set the stage for Sam Yorty's pop- ular campaign promise of the early 1960s: He promised to free Los An- geles housewives from the burden of separating their garbage. Yorty's election did not singlehand- edly initiate the age of landfills — like all cities, Los Angeles already had a few small dumps. But the Yorty vic- tory gave impetus to a dependence on landfills, and new habits helped too. The growing waste stream now began to contain a lot of new packaging materials. As larger landfills came on line in the '60s, recycling began to seem like an old-fashioned habit. City trucks carried everything away to new dumps like Mission Canyon and Calabasas in tween recycling and its first phase: re- covery. Collecting and recovering materials from some point in the solid waste stream is only the beginning; re- cycling comes when basic manufactur- ers use recovered materials to produce glass, aluminum, tin or paper. In Los Angeles and several other cities throughout California, citizens appear to be ahead of the elected offi- cials in support for recycling, and elected officials are ahead of their bur- eaucracies. The grassroots aspect of N9609c: a market for more recycled paper the Santa Monica Mountains, Scholl in Glendale, Spadra in Pomona. In 1971 the giant facility at Puente Hills opened up. Then the old ;ick -pig problem popped up in modern form. From the huge landfills, methane gases and leachates began percolating into the ground, seeping down and out into water supplies. As public health con- cerns grew, more citizens began ques- tioning what was really happening inside those mountains of garbage. Several smaller California cities — Modesto, Downey, Davis and Berke- ley among them — gradually resumed recycling programs in the '70s, while Los Angeles flirted with and ulti- mately rejected expensive waste -to -en- ergy technology. Today recycling is a thoroughly rehabilitated, "progres- sive" idea, even in the City of the Angels. Yet even in its new popularity, re- cycling is little understood. A basic distinction must be made be- 28 GOLDEN STATE REPORT the issue has pushed it onto the polit- ical agenda in many cities: — it may be a point for debate in the L.A. mayor- alty race this year. The sense of urgency varies widely, however. Some cities seem indifferent while others are almost militantly aroused. One rule of thumb seems to work: The closer a community is to an existing or proposed landfill, the higher the interest. As John Waddell of Refuse News has said, "We won't see a solution until there's garbage on the streets. " Consider what happened in the San Fernando Valley when Sunshine Can- yon landfill began operating. Located half in the city of Los Angeles and half (mostly undeveloped) in the county, this landfill currently accepts a little more than one-third of L.A.'s solid waste stream. BFI Inc., which oper- ates_the facility, has petitioned the county for expansion which, if ap- proved, would make Sunshine one of the biggest landfills in the United States. "Living next to a landfill," says Mary Edwards of the North Valley Co- alition, "has made believers and re- cyclers out of us." The Coalition has been in the forefront of the battle to limit the life and growth of Sunshine. So have L.A. City Councilman Hal Bernson, whose district includes part of the landfill, and Citizens for a Better Environment, which earlier fought L.A.'s plan to build three waste -to -en- ergy plants. Another ally has been Assembly- woman Marian LaFollette (R -North- ridge), who represents the north San Fernando Valley. LaFollette authored AB 2818, which makes cities and counties commit to recycling before expanding landfills or opening new dumps. Edwards says the North Valley Co- alition "did not feel it was ethically correct to take a 'not -in -my -back- yard"' attitude. In some other areas, local efforts reflect similarly positive reactions to the growing problems of waste disposal: ✓ Granada Hills Junior Chamber of Commerce launched a residential re- cycling program even before any city efforts began. The chamber provides monthly curbside pickup of news- paper, glass. plastics and aluminum. ✓ In the Lake View Terrace area of the San Fernando Valley, near the city - owned Lopez Canyon Landfill, the same type of neighborhood curbside program began last May. Cooperating with a private recycler, the Lake View Terrace Improvement Association pro- motes participation with the motto, "Everything you put on the recycling truck stays out of the landfill." The group's profits have been spent on library books and local improvements. But profits are slim, in part because of the falling price of used newsprint. Association spokeswoman Phyllis Hines says that as long as there's any market for recycled goods, "things are okay. But we'd love to have a paper mill close by that used our paper. We'd like to see legislation passed that all city offices had to use recycled paper. " Hines' volunteers are reluctant to join the city's pilot curbside recycling program. "Our program isn't costing the city a cent," she says. "There was no startup cost. Our private recycler even paid for the door hangers to tell the community about the program . . Why would we want to pay money to recycle? We're making money now and How recycling cracked Walnut Geography was a key motivator in the campaign to make the city of Walnut a leader in recycling. The bedroom community of 25,000, just south of Los An- geles, borders two large landfills — the BKK facility in West Covina and the L.A. County -City of Pomona landfill at Spadra. (The latter also was the proposed site of a waste -to -energy plant.) Former Walnut Mayor Harvey Holden is now the executive director of the San Gabriel Valley Associa- tion of Cities and a leader in the recycling program. "We studied recycling, composting, waste -to -energy and a proposal which we didn't start out taking seri- ously but in the end did, which was rail haul. "In recycling we learned that we are not a Japan, where they've been doing it, in some cities, for 100 years. We discovered what everyone probably already knows: that composting is a great idea — a necessary component to solving the waste problem — but we simply haven't learned how to cope with the products coming out of citywide composting. "The composting situation will have to have a break- through to deal with the volume that will be produced. Even here, the junior college started a program, and then they had to say. 'Stop.' Where were they going to put it?" Holden is somewhat impatient with the pace of re- cycling action. "(;re of the things which distresses me most," he says, "is that all of the recycling information is available from the state, from the L.A. County San- itation Districts. Nobody needs to study it — all they need to have is the guts to implement it." helping our communi!v The city gets so bogged down in politics and red tape. " ✓ In Walnut, a bedroom commu- nity near Los Angeles, residents have adopted one of the state's first man- datory curbside recycling programs with virtually no political opposition. (See box.) ✓ Santa Monica has what may be the most complete recycling program in the nation. It has curside pickup, multi -family zones (for apartments), drop-off zones, buy-back centers, composting, home toxic curbside pickup, office paper programs, plastics collections and even toy recycling. The success of any recycling pro- gram hinges on three questions: What's in the trash? How much can be recycled? What percent of the popu- lation will be involved? Garbage falls into three general cat- egories, one-third residential, one- third commercial and institutional, The possibility of a nearby waste -to -energy incin- eration plant was enough to get Walnut's opposition organized. "Never had so many people reacted so fast to an issue," Holden recalls. "It was only rivaled one time by the hint that a prison might be located (nearby) in the City of Industry." The city worked out the cost of curbside collection and charged all residents an additional recycling fee of less than $1 a month. That will be rebated, says program administrator Sean Joyce, when proceeds from the sales of collected recyclables come in. Ex -Mayor Holden believes the experts who say that waste -to -energy plants must come eventually, as a part of managing the waste stream. He's convinced that there's a lot of misunderstanding about recycling. "People hear 50 percent, and think that's half of the problem solved. But residential re- cycling is only 10 percent of our (total) solution .. . Some people have used the argument of recycling against waste -to -energy plants, but I haven't heard anyone say that recycling can do everything." Holden says the public must be educated and then alternative solutions, with realistic costestimates, must be placed on the ballot. "We haven't got the solutions, because the issues are too politically hot," he says. "We have tons of trash right now, with no real place to go. "If we don't get the ball moving right now, then we have a problem," he says. "For a politician now, you have to forget this political suicide and put the issue on the ballot." — I.R. one-third industrial. Most political discussions of recycling focus on the residential segment because it is the easiest and most dramatic place to begin. Separating bottles from cans is a daily reminder to citizens that some- thing is being done about the waste problem, but since residential waste is only one-third of most waste streams, residential programs can create the impression that greater amounts are being diverted from landfills than ac- tually are. Most private haulers feel they must offer some form of recycling as part of the collection service they seek to sell their city -clients. Yet no matter how committed the hauler and how enthu- siastic the community, the content of garbige defines what impact recycling can achieve. Among "garbologists," one gener- ally agreed-upon statistic is that 20 percent of residential wastes are "read- ily recyclable." Another 30 percent from single-family domes is "yard waste." Together, those elements form the 50 percent which is considered a realistic recycling target for residential garbage. Yet such figures hide as much as they reveal. How much of the "readily re- cyclable" cans, glass and newspaper are already being diverted through paper drives and the new California "bottle bill?" How much of yard wastes are actually compostible (grass clippings, leaves, etc.) and how much are solid wood? Another problem is the amount of miscellaneous paper than cannot be re- cycled readily. Junk mail is but one ex- ample; food packaging is another. Cities like Palo Alto have begun edu- cation campaigns on so-called source reduction, urging citizens to buy fresh vegetables instead of frozen to cut down on packaging wastes. How many people will actually re- cycle household wastes' L.A.'s County Sanitation Districts surveyed 600 res- Timetable to crisis Here are the grim numbers on California's waste management scene: Annual waste stream production: 38.8 million tons. Remaining permitted landfill capacity: 490,230,909 tons. Time remaining until all existing landfill is closed: 12 years. Some cities and counties are in better shape than others, of course. In some areas, existing landfills will be loaded in fewer than five years. To see how California's most populous county will be affected, look at L.A.'s Sanitation Districts' "time -to -crisis" timetable. ✓ If no landfill expansion is permitted, no new sites opened and current recycling level continues, L.A. County will reach crisis condi- tions in 1991. ✓ if all possible expansions of existing landfills were permitted, no new sites added and recycling is maintained at the 1991 goal -level, the crisis date will be 1995. ✓ If landfill expansions are permitted, no new sites added and re- cycling increases to 10 percent of the total waste stream, the crisis will arrive in 1997. ✓ If all other conditions remain the same but recycling grows to 27 percent of the waste stream, the crisis day will arrive in the year 2000. idents and found four distinct "attitude patterns: " ✓ Early adaptors (18 percent of those polled), persons ready to partic- ipate in voluntary recycling. ✓ Early majority (34 percent), those interested and likely to participate. ✓ Late majority ,:4 percent), per- sons with some interest who might participate. ✓ Non -participants (23 percent), those who probable wouldn't get involved. Altruism isn't the entire motivation for recycling. Abo::t 48 percent of those surveyed said :i-ey already recy- cle for cash. Another survey conclu- sion: Most people will recycle if programs are convenient and appear cost-effective. Perhaps the biggest impediment to large-scale recycling is the current lim- ited market for recycled products. Scrap metal and waste pair markets are depressed and likely to become more so if supply far exceeds demand, say dealers in both fields. By contrast, aluminum's recycling potential has improved over the past 20 years. The key to success is the fact that the industry has converted enough of its plants to accept used aluminum as a source metal. Similarly, the glass container indus- try is trying to create a market value for bottles, and the plastics industry — spurred by bottle bills in California and elsewhere — is developing a mar- 30 GOLDEN STATE REPORT ket value for used plastic containers. Currently 95 percent of recycled plas- tic bottles are sent to mills outside of the United States where they are pro- cessed into items like carpet backings. The problem of finding markets for recycled products is particularly clear in the second part of the waste stream, the commercial and institu- tional section. Most of this waste is hauled by private carriers, and its com- position can range from restaurant wastes to computer paper. David Jones of City Fibers. a waste paper dealer and recycler in Los An- geles, says at least 75 percent of the cardboard that comes into California it being recycled, largely by peddlers who are free-lance collectors. Of busi- ness waste paper, more than 70 percent is being retrieved and sold, he says. "Any good businessman doesn't throw something away that's worth money." The dilemma, according to mem- bers of the California Association of Waste Paper Dealers, is this: Their ef- ficient, taxpaying waste paper recy- cling industry already exists. What happens if government-sponsored re- cycling begins competing in a big way? Waste paper dealers foresee a market inundated with low -value supply and no new demand for recycled products. Figures on volume from the waste paper industry indicate that California is significantly ahead of the rest of the nation and, in fact, other countries in the diversion of commercial waste paper from landfills. "There are three countries who lead the world in recy- cling," says Gary Peterson of Ecolo- Haul, a Los Angeles recycling and waste paper company. "Japan, Ger- many and California." The problem, according to Al Strickman of Garden State Paper of Po- mona (a leading producer of new paper out of old), is that the paper mills are demand -driven. "No paper company builds a plant without a market," he says. Yet right now the city of Los An- geles could produce more used news- paper than could be consumed by all California paper mills, he says. One solution would be for govern- ment to stimulate the market for recy- cled produce, just as it has stimulated markets for other products, according to Ecolo-Haul's Peterson. "We don't want or need government interference, just stimulation. Why can't the gover- nor grant a tax break for building more paper plants that use old newspapers?" Based on timetables developed by the Sanitation Districts of L.A. County (see box), it appears that re- cycling will buy time but not eliminate the need for new landfills. The city of L.A. has already announced a goal of 50 percent participation from more than 700,000 homes by 1993. But achieving that goal will be dif- ficult, in part because Southern Cali- fornians are used to cheap, easy disposal in landfills John Waddell of Refuse News says, "otic have a bargain at our landfills. with prices as low as 59.60 (per ton) at Puente Hills. In the eastern United States, they are pushing as much as $150 a ton." Even more difficult will be changing lifestyle habits. "The Japanese are so good at recycling that they've closed the loop on computer paper," says Pe- terson. "They recycle all of it — they don't need any more, and there's no market for used computer paper in Japan right now." Pressuring for habit changes will be health concerns — landfill and groundwater contamination, toxic fumes and smoke from incineration, deteriorating air quality from trucking more garbage farther from urban areas. For politicians, the thankless task will be giving voters a double whammy of bad news: They must change their behavior, and must also pay more for less convenience. • Capitol protest against meycling-bill veto The politics of waste Meet the latest acronym, TWABAL — 'There will always be a landfill.' But, asks a state legislator, how far away is that landfill in the sky and how much will it cost? By DELAINE EASTIN • arbage is not the political issue you're looking for if the goal is cheering approval from all quarters. Californians produce 38 million tons of it a year, and we are of one mind about where it goes: "Out of here." But that's where consensus stops. There is, after all, no foolproof way to turn 38 million tons of garbage into joy for all. Local officials want a smooth and convenient way to have trash hauled off. In pushing for that narrow aim, they faithfully represent their constit- uents, who have come to expect low- cost curbside waste removal as a municipal service on a par with fire protection. And it is. Without regular garbage collection, no place would remain hab- itable for long. California communi- ties would be the first to bury themselves because we generate waste at nearly twice the rate of the country as a whole. Consequently, our dumps are filling up. About 70 percent of California's urban areas will be out of landfill space within eight years. Eight of our largest counties have less than five years to go. What then? Cities should be worried, but the same local officals who demand trou- ble-free waste disposal also make land - use planning decisions. And they tend to oppose new landfills anywhere nearby. There is still remote space in Cali- fornia, but trucking waste long dis- tances will run up garbage bills astonishingly, violating the citizen ex- pectation that waste disposal should be cheap as well as easy. Recycling is cheap but not easy. And so for a long time, few households did it. Now, some communities have gone to curbside recycling. These experi- ments have shown that people will recycle if the system can be made convenient. ✓ In San Jose, curbside recycling is expected to reduce tonnage to landfills one-third by 1992. ✓ In San Francisco, more than 25 percent is already being recycled. ✓ In my district, in addition to San Jose, the communities of Fremont, Newark and Union City will go to curb- side recycling in 1989. Such programs should be models for urban and suburban recycling. But for less densely populated areas, we will have to invent methods that match the dispersed characteristics of those com- munities, and that will not be easy. tate government's encouragement of recycling has so far been lim- ited. AB 2020, the so-called bottle bill, was carried successfully in the 1985-86 session by Assemblyman Burt Margolin. But the results to date have not been the kind of bottle recycling we had hoped for. Perhaps the incen- tive — I cent per bottle — does not outweigh the inconvenience. In the 1987-88 legislative session, advocates of recycling were optimistic at first, but disappointed in the end. We passed three good recycling measures with bipartisan support. All, however, were vetoed. ✓ AB 3298, by Assemblymembers Lucy Killea and Dom Cortese, would have required cities to draft waste re- duction plans for the end of 1992, with a goal of recycling 25 percent. ✓ SB 188, by Sen. Alfred Alquist, would have allowed a 10 percent tax credit to banks and corporations for the purchase of recycled materials. • Landfill Cas Services: Migration control sy.Yar • tawfin can k Rater wear • 9yatmr Dalp/tart+IIntim/ Operation • Aegulamry CaarTh"M s Amr Qunity Maaltorlag D Assemblywoman Fastin at work In Sacrarrionto ✓ AB 3746, a bill I carried, would have required state agencies, the Cal- ifornia State University system and the state Legislature to buy more recycled products. All three measures would have cre- ated new opportunity in the private sector. The new markets they envi- sioned would have diverted tonnage from landfills, would have added value at several stages and (the bottom line) would have converted a public nuis- ance into economic growth. We had been led to believe that Gov. George Deukmejian likes that ap- proach, but his vetoes clarified a point: t It is not all markets he wants to stim- ulate, just old markets. The governor's thinking evidently comes down to this: 18 GOLDEN STATE REPORT c Lv gys n, '� 54we 1973 Western Region PAU=1900 LangBeack CA M Pkmc a131 59"9" NI[idwest Region It W. $11 Froatap Road mall sae 103 Lenaat. IL 6W9 Phone: OIZ 739.Qi70 Eastern Region Raritan Plaza I Raritan canttr Fdlw All OU37 Phone C201) 21543M .—I A. Old ways are the best ways, and new approaches are bad. Unfortunately, the old ways have been failed approaches in California. The Legislature has had better luck on health and environmental protec- tion around landfills, which can amount to uncontrolled subterranean factories of toxic contaminants if not properly monitored and maintained. Moisture leaches poison out of bur- ied garbage, and in some instances the toxins have migra!ed into the water supply. The decay trocess also gener- ates methane, a pulsonous and explo- sive gas. So in 1985, the Legislature passed a measure to require air and water test- ing at all solid waste landfills. That measure has not been well imple- mented, however. Local officials and landfill operators claim they can't bear the cost. It is, indeed, costly to manage a solid waste landfill in a competent way. And to make sure there is no mis- understanding about that, I carried A B 2448 in 1987. Among other things, the law makes owners financially respon- sible for their landfills up to 30 years after they close. The bill also sets up a so-called garbage superfund to ensure that there is a means to clean up un- foreseen problems. This is the most comprehensive solid waste management law in the history of California. It's likely to succeed where others have not because waste industry representatives, local offi- cials and citizens' groups all helped out in good faith to make the measure workable. In the 1989-90 legislative session, we'll go at it again. The first item on the solid waste agenda, it seems to me, should be discussions with local government over the landfill siting pro- cess. That will be controversial. I am a former city councilmember and a strong backer of the "local con- trol" principle. A few years ago, I fought a measure that would have per- mitted state government to override localities that rejected siting applica- tions for controversial operations like chemical plants. But we have to clarify openly the tradeoffs and then choose consciously. Cheap waste disposal implies nearby landfills. Remote landfills imply very significant cost increases. It will not be fair play for city officials to profess "shock" later if they deliberately se- lect the high-priced option. This is not a decision we can post- pone. Ten years from now, five years from now, even two years from now will be too late. We should decide in this session, or get ready for Califor- nia's version of the famous New York garbage barge that had no place to go. Decisions like this are complicated these days by a new and nasty public affairs acronym — NIMBY. It stands for "not in my backyard," and it refers to the growing tendency to resist the siting of facilities that could conceiv- ably cause problems, even though all agree the facilities are essential: sewer plants, jails, mental hospitals and land- fills, to name a few. But there is another acronym that should inform this debate: TWABAL. It means "there will alwrys be a landfill." That is a disagreeable assertion to those who hope the need for landfills soon will fall drastically. These folks expect that environmental limits will force us, under the whip of necessity, to re -learn the lost art of efficient consumption. That would be wonderful, but noth- ing of the kind is in sight. Even if we could reduce the flow of waste to land- fills, as this year's vetoed legislation attempted to do, state growth and the continued use of non -recyclable prod- ucts means these materials will have to be disposed of somewhere. Cutting the absolute quantity of waste to extremely low levels probably means Draconian cuts in both produc- tion and consumption — something only the tiniest sliver of public opinion would countenance. So, TWABAL is probably true: There will always be a landfill. The only question is how far away and, therefore, how costly. 1Asecond solid waste item on the Lnew session's agenda should be a policy encouraging localities to de- velop household hazardous -waste col- lection programs. Products like paint, insecticides and motor oil are discarded by the ton in the trash every day. Most people don't even know that these dangerous sub- stances should be disposed of sepa- rately. Even if they do know, there is usually no ready channel for proper disposal. The garbage superfund created by AB 2448 earmarks 20 percent of the At Woodward -Clyde Consultants we've been helping private industry, including the wood treating industry, develop cost-effective solutions to waste management problems for more than 35 years. Our services include: • Site Investigations • Groundwater Investigation and Cleanup • Underground Tank Management • Waste Minimization • In -Situ Remediation • Environmental Audits • Regulatory Compliance • Health Risk Assessment • Expert Testimony • Remedial Design and Construction • Environmental Permitting Here when you need us. For more information, please contact: Jim S artor Woodward -Clyde Consultants 500 12th Street, Suite 100, NkWtd, CA 94601.4014 (41 S) 893-3600 5100 million fund for hou$ehold haz- ardous waste programs. The next step is the development of local implemen- tation plans. Third, the Legislature must find ways to promote more recycling, and we can do that by stimulating the growth of markets for recycled goods. To gain the governor's support this time, we probably need a fresh way to illustrate the economics of the situa- tion. I suggest we develop a new mar- ket model of waste disposal that quantifies not only the out-of-pocket costs of recycling, but also the costs we avoid when recycling reduces the need for so much waste disposal. The federal government did this sort of "avoided costs" analysis during the oil embargo. It based energy strategies not only on the costs of developing al- ternative sources, but also on the costs we could escape by not importing for- ei ,n crude. Applied to the waste question, it seems reasonable that there is a poten- tial benefit to the state if, by recycling, we can avoid some of the costs and risks that come w!th landfilling. I think such a model, will quite likely demonstrate that tl:e tradeoff is this: Pay me now or pay me later, with a big carrying charge tacked on if it's later. Finally, we need to re -think the role of the California Waste Management Board. which is cont nually mired in turf wars with ether ;tate agencies. As a consequence, too little that is con- structive gets done. Perhaps we should consider estab- lishing a select committee to oversee the clarification of waste management roles in California, and by that process define the concrete targets each is to achieve. The solid waste issue is partly a tech- nical problem for professionals to solve. But it is driven by a number of non-technical truths we cannot avoid confronting: ✓ California generates 38 million tons of garbage a year, and we're run- ning out of places to put it. ✓ Buried garbage turns to poison. There is no longer any doubt about that. ✓ Unless we act, the poison will get into the water and into the air, and eventually into our bodies. So this is not a hard problem to un- derstand. But there are many eco- nomic and political interests involved with waste disposal. Most are valid. And yet that means some part of every proposal offends one or more inter- ested parties. City officials want waste disposal that's cheap and easy but not nearby — a patently inconsistent set of objectives. The disposal industry wants to cut its legal exposure by surrounding land- fills with buffer zones. But it doesn't want to buy the land. - (Q/ " Environmentalists oppose burning and landfilling, and they support re- cycling. But today only 10 percent of our trash is recycled, and nobody wants to wade around in the other 90 percent until recycling can handle more. Recyclers want to see the market be- fore they invest heavily. But potential buyers of recycled goods are reluctant to sign contracts with what they view as bootstrap operations. It reminds me in some ways of UC biologist Garrett Hardin's classic mon- ograph, "The Tragedy of the Com- mons." It's about the peril that always attends a community's use of a com- mon asset — in Hardin's paper, a com- mons for the grazing of cows. The critical point is this: Each in- dividual impact on the commons is so small that community members feel right about defending the principle of unfettered access. But each little im- pact inexorably nudges the commons a trifle closer to catastrophic collapse. Professor Hardin's prescription was an elegantly simple statement of de- mocracy in action: "Mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon." Applied to the waste issue, it sug- gests all won't be perfectly happy with the solution. It wail be a system of compromises. But mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon at least buys time — each of us giving up a bit because each of us throws away a lot. ■ On the fast'track I AS waste -to -energy projects go, the new Stanislaus County Resource Recovery Facility 20 miles southwest of Modesto is something of a California miracle. Plans for the plant, which started trial runs at the end of 1988, were initiated only about three years ago. Given California's strict environmental controls, most waste -management specialists estimate that it can take five years just to get a proposal through the permit process. But when local officials get full steam behind a proj- ect, it can move rapidly, as was the case of this venture involving Stanislaus County, the city of Modesto, Og- den Martin Systems Inc., the California Pollution Con- trol Financing Authority, the state Department of Health Services, the state Energy Commission, the state Solid Waste Management Board and the state Air Resources Board. The $120 million project is designed to process 800 tons of waste a day and will serve more than 400,000 residents of Stanislaus County, relieving pressure on two landfills that will reach capacity in 1991 and 2004. Electricity from the plant will be sold to Pacific Gas & Electric Co. The facility is California's third waste -to -energy plant and Ogden -Martin's first in the state. The New Jersey - based firm designed, built and helped finance the plant. It will own and operate the facility until 2014. April 24, 1989 Dear Mayor, I urge you to push for a ban on plastic containers Plymouth. Minneapolis has set a _great example for our city to follow. I am a student at Oakwood Elementary. My science class is studying the effects of manmade pollutants on the ozone layer. When plastic containers burned they release chemicals into the air that destroy the ozone layer. Plastic containers are also non -biodegradable, so they fill up landfills. I hope that you also push for bans on aerosol& containing CFC's, and other non -biodegradable plastics. I urge you again, please ban styrofoam containers. Sincerely, i Andrew Krell Nga:i April 21, 1989 Ms. Beth Docherty 3905 Evergreen Lane Plymouth, Minnesota 55441 CITY OF PLYMOUTR RE: INTERSECTION AT 37TH AVENUE NORTH AND EVERGREEN LANE Dear Ms. Docherty: Thank you for taking the time to write concerning a problem that you perceive at the intersection of 37th Avenue North and Evergreen Lane. Your request for signage at this location, i.e., stop sign or yield sign, has been referred to the Director of Public Works, Fred Moore. Mr. Moore's depart- ment is responsible for determining the need for traffic signs on City streets. I checked our computer for accident statistics from January 1, 1988 to the present at the 37th and Evergreen intersection. I could not find any accidents reported in that area. However, I do not wish to imply that your concerns are unwarranted and that signage is not required. The accident experience in a particular area is only one part of an equation that determines the need for regulatory signs. Mr. Moore is the most qualified to evaluate your request based upon State Uniform Traffic Warrant Criteria. Again, thank you for taking the time to write. the near future. Sincerely. Richard J. arlquist Public Safety Director RJC:gs cc: James G. Willis - City Manager (enc) Fred Moore - Public Works Director (enc) You will receive a response in 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH. MINNESOTA 55447. TELEPHONE (612) 559.2800 AQy i I ►8�`� 1 q89 Dr. Mn, acv) OO st S A.vn W ti lnn� CD Vlln ,m a ict a- CoMPW nt 0 -bout tjl-p- W r)tr 0 � 3�-� A -e . N. a-�d c v�+' r�ee� I�� ► � PyDvt� - At oi-i S Coy n -e r tli-PW ► S 1� S) n 101CG.dN Olt Y1. ht-0�- thou �J� Sla-, iS Ylot ex e -!WcfL 5�, as Clear i N U i�. Tt would bf c - rt a� '� prov�rn�Y1t if x StDp or �?'eld Sego uoM bk ffNd- T ftPk- �N ftI( your L,&C f NZ /4 39Ds�v 'green e ply-rnoug, X/V 5SS'y1 PAUL J. WIRTZ 2325 Walnut Grove Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 (612) 475-9104 April 24, 1989 Plymouth City Planning Commission City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, MN 55447 RE: Reiser Property/Imperial Hills Sanitary Sewer One of my concerns relating to the Reiser Property development is its impact on the sanitary sewer lift station that currently exists next to my property at 2325 Walnut Grove Lane. Over the last 11 I years that we have lived in our home -the sanitary sewer lift station has overflowed at least 20 or more times. Sometimes for a short while (1-2 hours), sometimes much longer (6-8 hours) and in one case days. The City Water Department brought in a tank truck and pumped the waste into the truck for the multi -day problem. In all cases except the one multi -day outage, the cause has been power failure. Adding the Reiser Development to the lift station will at least double the flow of sewage that presently exists. Sathre-Berquist submitted an opinion to the City Engineer that the underground pipes in the new development will act as a storage area, however, it is difficult for me to understand the technical aspects and the logic of the solution escapes me. While average water flows were used it would seem more appropriate to use peak load flows since very little sewage flows during 16 hours of any given day. By using average flows the hours presented for storage is considerably lower than peak flow. Additionally power outage occurs during storms and there's no question storm water infiltrates the sanitary system and increases the flow. I feel a lot of analysis has yet to be accomplished and the city departments should be deeply involved. Presently the noise of the lift station running might have problems meeting federal and state noise pollution standards. As the station gets older the noise gets louder. Sitting on my deck is sometimes not a pleasant experience, especially during peak flow hours when the pumps run every 10-15 minutes. Double the load from the Reiser development and it now will run every 5 minutes or less. Not a very nice situation and not conducive to enhancing property values - just the reverse. Again analysis is needed with city involvement. The following are questions that I respectfully request answers for before approval is given for the development. I. Why doesn't the Reiser development have their own lift station? —T--,—1 2. Can the present lift station that is made from sheet steel (excellent echo chamber), be sound proofed especially if the Reiser development sewage flow is to be added. 3. Can something be done about the raw sewage overflow that ends up in Mooney Lake, or can it be stopped or, can more storage be added or ?????. 4. How many homes was the lift station and storage area designed for originally? 5. Could a sound barrier be built around the lift station to cushion the noise levels. I thank you for your time, consideration and patience. Call if you need more information or have questions. Sincerely, c Paul J. Wii`tz cc: City Council Members Plymouth Community Development Coordinator Plymouth City Engineer Plymouth City Sewer Department 2015 Xanthus Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 April 25, 1989 Mr. Virgil Schneider City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, MN 55447 Re: Lundgren Brothers' Proposal for Alex Reiser Property Dear Mr. Schneider: I am writing this letter because I cannot appear in person at tomorrow's Planning Commission meeting to air my views. I am a Mooney Lake shoreline homeowner and am very concerned about some aspects of the proposal development, specifically: 1) proposed dredging of the lake; 2) proposed increased capacity of sanitary sewer overflow lift station; 3) proposed shoreline modification or setback variances; and 4) the effect on usage of the lake. The attached letter to the DNR addresses the first three issues. Please read it in conjunction with this letter. In summary, I oppose any modification of the lake itself or its existing shoreline and I oppose any variances which would have the effect of having homes built too close to the lake. Regarding item 4) above, I am concerned about how this new "lakeshore property in the Minnetonka area" will be advertised. The current restrictions on Mooney Lake usage need to be addressed. I am not opposed to a housing development, per se, as long as the above concerns are alleviated. !" -; Mr. Virgil Schneider April 26, 1989 Page 2 I ask that The Planning Commission and City Council do the following: 1) I know that the DNR is responsible for granting approval on the above items 1) through 3). I feel that is the responsibility of the City Council to go on record with the DNR as being against dredging, etc. Please do not let jurisdictional boundaries affect whether you go on record against the habitat impairment. The brochures of the City mention natural resources as one of its big selling points! Let's not risk impairment of a resource which benefits everyone. 2) I feel the City Council should require that advertising for the new houses include comments on the current horsepower limitation for boat motors as well as the snowmobile ban. 3) Please carefully consider all the facts and require (to the extent you can) that there will be no damage resulting from your decisions. I am available at your convenience to discuss these and other issues which may arise. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Mark A. Doepke cc: Paul Wirtz MAD/mc ---\ --I Ck 2015 Xanthus Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 April 25, 1989 Ms. Judy Boudreau Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 1200 Warner Road St. Paul, MN 55106 Re: Lundgren Brothers' Proposal for Alex Reiser Property in Plymouth. MN Dear Ms. Boudreau: I am writing you in regard to Lundgren Brothers' proposal to dredge portions of Mooney Lake in conjunction with their Reiser development proposal. My understanding is that the DNR must approve or disapprove such dredging. I strongly urge you to 1) disapprove any attempt to dredge portions of the lake; 2) disapprove any requests for shoreline modifications or setback variances; and 3) disapprove any request to allow potentially more sanitary sewer overflow into the lake. The lagoons in the north part of Mooney Lake along with their shoreline provide natural habitat for many wild fowl. Furthermore, if the lake bottom is pierced there is a risk of severe depletion of lake water, as has happened at least once in the past. The lake is currently at very low levels. I cannot believe that the DNR could allow some of Minnesota's wetlands to be impaired or destroyed by a developer claiming that dredging would improve or enhance the habitat. Whose habitat? Certainly not that of the wildlife and around the lake! Not that of existing property owners on the lake, whose aesthetic enjoyment of the lake would diminish and whose property values could plummet if the lake level drops due to the dredging! Can Lundgren Brothers' prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that there will be no adverse effects? Is Lundgren Brothers willing to shoulder the potential liability should something go wrong? Or would it be that by getting DNR approval, Lundgren could have no liability attaching to it whatsoever? Ms. Judy Boudreau April 26, 1989 Page 2 Please, as a Mooney Lake shoreline homeowner, as a citizen concerned about environmental impact, and as an individual who believes that Minnesota's natural resources should not be squandered for a few people's economic gain I urge you to disapprove any proposal to dredge Mooney Lake or to alter the existing shoreline within fifty feet of the high water mark, or to allow sanitary sewer overflow to be increased. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Mark A. DoeP ke cc: Paul Wirtz MAD/mc 1 174 ;V ST ON LANE PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447 CITY OF PLYMOUTH MAYOR-COUNCILMEMBERS I ATTENDED THE PLYMOUTH TOWN MEETING ON MONDAY, APRIL TENTH AND APPRECIATED ALL THE INFORMATION PRESENTED. THE MEETING WAS CONDUCTED IN A WELL RUN MANNER WITH CONCERN GIVEN TO ANYONE WANTING TO SPEAK. I MUST ADMIT I WAS APPALLED BY THE INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR OF COUNCILMAN, LLOYD REIKER, 01HEN HE OPENLY DISPLAYED HIS ANIMOSITY AND RUDENESS BY VERBALLY ATTACKING ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER, MARIA VASIDOU, WHEN SHE WAS ATTEMPTING TO CLARIFY AND UNDERSTAND A PARTICULAR CONCERN PRESENTED AT THE PODIUM. MR. REIKER SHOULD BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE ROOM UNTIL HE CAN CONDUCT HIMSELF IN A MANNER DESERVING OF THE POSITION HELD INSTEAD OF A GRADE SCHOOL BOY WHO IS RUDE AND POUTS. IT IS STRONGLY FELT THAT A COUNCIL MEETING IS NOT THE TIME OR PLACE TO PUBLICLY DISPLAY THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR. IT ONLY DEMONSTRATES THE IMMATURITY OF THE PERSON OR PERSONS BEHAVING IN THIS MANNER. THIS IS A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF t RUDENESS AND IMMATURITY DISPLAYED BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. I QUESTION THE QUALITY OF JUDGEMENT IN DECISION MAKING FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL OF US IN PLYMOUTH WHEN THE MEN WHO ARE AT THE HELM BEHAVE, WITH SUCH IMMATURITY. YOURS TRULY, VONNI E WANHA 1174 ?1ESTON LANE PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447 cc. Post Publications Sailor 475-2878 CirYOF April 25, 1989 PLYMOUTH+ Mr. Patrick B. Hallisey 4065 Quantico Lane Plymouth, MN 55446 Dear Mr. Hallisey: Thank you for your letter of April 14 in which you outlined the problems you have had with respect to the process by which a fair and equitable valuation can be determined for your residence. The City Assessor is charged with the responsibility under state law of determining the market values of all properties within the community. He not only is responsible for determining the market value, but also equalizing the values of similar parcels in order that they may be treated equitably when tax rates are applied to them. This is not an exact science, as you know, but does represent the application of sound judgment based upon analysis of a good deal of economic data. The City Assessor's recommendations are not always agreed to by the City Council sitting as the Board of Review. Based upon your letter, and your desire to "reach a negotiated truce," I recommend that you bring your concerns back to the Board of Review which will be meeting on May 8. Thank you for your letter and I look forward to meeting with you to discuss your concerns more fully on May 8. It Yours truly Vi it Schneider Mayor VS:Kec cc: Councilmembers James G. Willis, City Manager Scott Hovet, City Assessor Q 9 CONTROL DATA 8100 34th Avenue South Mailing Address/Box O Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440-4700 April 26, 1989 Plymouth City Council 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, Minnesota 55447 Dear Mayor Schneider and Councilmembers: Our family moved into our home at 125 Black Oaks Lane in 1984. We are encountering problems because of our 55391 zip code. We request that mail addressed to us with a Plymouth zip code be forwarded. Specifically we need the information published in "Plymouth On Parade"'especially notification of the youth classes and details on recycling, a concept which we are strongly committed. There are ten families similarly affected on Black Oaks Lane. We have been told there was a controversy concerning this issue when annexation took place, however six of the ten families did not live here at that time. We can not speak for our entire neighborhood but would presume that they would benefit from receiving "Plymouth On Parade". Is it not the mission of city government to service and inform all tax payers and encourage good public relations? Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, t StephXn and Carolyn Ruff 125 Black Oaks Lane Wayzata, Minnesota 55391 475-3102 Wayzata Volunteer Fire Department 600 RICE STREET W AYZATA, MINNESOTA 55391 Chief Lyle Robinson April 22, 1989 Plymouth Fire Department 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, Mn. 55441 Dear Lyle, on behalf of the Wayzata Fire Dept, I would like to extend our thanks to you and your department for the prompt response to our call for mutual aid on Sunday April 16,1989. It's comforting to know that there's such willing help that we can count on. Please pass my personal thanks to the men. Way to Fire ept. Paul Klappric hief CITY OF PLYMOUTH 3400 PLYMOUTH BLVD., PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447 TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800 MEMO DATE: April 24, 1989 TO: James G. Willis, City Manager FROM: Bob Zitur SUBJECT BZ At approximately 10:30 this morning I was in the area of C.R. 9 and Larch Lane. I had stopped to pick up a large bag of garbage laying along the roadway which I noticed had been there for at least two days. As I was putting the bag in my car trunk, a city truck stopped. The driver, Roger Wenner, took the bag and placed it on the truck. It really made me feel good to know that a city employee would take the initiative to stop and assist. Roger also commented to me that because of restrictions beinq placed on garbage/refuse collection and tipping fees, we may see more of the problem of debris being deposited along the roadway. Dear Mayor Virgil Schneider: In science class we are talking about the effects aerosol cans have on our ozone layer. The ozone layer keeps out the ultraviolet rays from our sun. If there is a hole in our earths ozone layer then we would die. CFCs are spray cans of plastic confetti. Some people use CFCs to clean VCRs and electronic equipment. I am asking you to help ban CFCs. Another way of cleaning VCRs is to put a tape in the VCR and hit start. There is a cleaning fluid in the tape and it cleans the VCR. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned nonessential uses of chlorofluorocarbans as aerosol propellants in 1978. We need someone to help the fight against CFCs. I`m sure you don't want to die. Sincerly, Jill Dink:iey x'11:' Hwy. 101 P1 ymouth ,Mn 55-447 y