HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnvironmental Quality Committee Packet 06-13-2018ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE
AGENDA
June 13, 2018
WHERE: MEDICINE LAKE ROOM
Plymouth City Hall
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447
CONSENT AGENDA
All items listed on the consent agenda* are considered to be routine by the Environmental Quality
Committee and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items
unless a Committee member, or citizen so requests, in which event the item will be removed from
the consent agenda and considered in normal sequence on theagenda.
1. 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER
2. 7:00 P.M. PUBLIC FORUM — Individuals may address the Committee about any item
not contained in the regular agenda. A maximum of 15 minutes is allotted for the Forum.
3. 7:20 P.M APPROVAL OF AGENDA - EQC members may add items to the agenda for
discussion purposes or staff direction only. The EQC will not normally take official action
on items added to the agenda.
4. 7:25 P.M. CONSENT AGENDA*
A. Approve April 11, 2018 EQC Meeting Minutes (Asche)
5. 7:30 P.M. GENERAL BUSINESS
A. 2017 Solid Waste Annual Report (Asche)
6. REPORTS AND STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS
A.
7. FUTURE MEETINGS:
August 8, 2018 — EQC
e Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan Public Meeting
e Surface Water Management Plan Update
8. 8:00 P.M. ADJOURNMENT
DRAFT Minutes
Environmental Quality Committee (EQC)
April 11, 2018
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Paul Senne, Committee Members Marky Williamson, Andy
Polzin, Kathy Osborne, Clay Hoes, Clark Gregor, Marita Prokop
MEMBERS ABSENT:
STAFF PRESENT: Water Resources Manager Derek Asche
1. Call to Order - 7:02 P.M.
2. Public Forum
3. Approval of Agenda
Motion by Committee Member Williamson seconded by Committee Member Polzin,
recommending, approval of the April 11, 2018 Environmental Quality Committee meeting agenda.
With all members voting in favor, the motion carried.
4. Consent Agenda
A. Approve March 14, 2018 EQC Meeting Minutes
Motion by Committee Member Williamson, seconded by Committee Member Polzin
recommending approval of the Consent A eg nda. With all members voting in favor, the motion
carried.
5. General Business
A. Bass and Pomerleau In -Lake Water Quality Treatment
The EQC was informed of a possible in -lake alum treatment to improve water quality in Bass and
Pomerleau lakes. The EQC discussed the logistics of the alum treatments including their impaired
water status, funding from the Shingle Creek Watershed, and coordination with the Bass Lake
Improvement Association. It was noted that the Shingle Creek Watershed completed a 5 -year
review of the total_ maximum daily load plan for both lakes and noted internal loading was more
significant than initially thought. Motion by Committee Member Williamson, seconded by
Committee Member Osborne to accept the alum treatment project for Bass and Pomerleau Lakes.
B. Draft Recycling Contract
The committee reviewed the most recent draft contract with Republic Services. Water Resources
Manager Asche indicated he is anticipating a few more minor changes to the contract but he is
hoping to have it ready for approval at the April 24th, 2018 City Council meeting.
Asche highlighted a few changes:
• Service and pricing options for the recycling center
• Recycling collection at City facilities with no additional fees
• Trash collection at City facilities with no additional fees
Environmental Quality Committee Minutes
April 11, 2018
Page 2
• Republic will be committed to the special collection events (Drop Off Day)
• Revenue sharing is still under negotiation but will most likely be changing from a 100%
revenue share (above an agreed dollar amount) for the city, minus a processing fee, to an
80/20 share with a lowered processing fee
Chair Senne inquired about education efforts and how often it should be sent out. Asche indicated
he will be sure to include in the contract the state statute that requires the hauler (Republic
Services) to provide education to the residents twice annually.
6. Reports and Staff Recommendations
Water Resources manager shared with the committee that the July 11, 2018 EQC meeting
coincides with the Music in Plymouth event. He suggested changing the agenda to cancel the July
meeting, with the understanding if there is an imminent need to meet it could be rescheduled for
the following week. The committee agreed to cancel the meeting. The committee also scheduled
their annual Adopt a Street clean-up day for May 5th 2018.
7. Future Meetings -May 9, 2018
• Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program
• Solid Waste Annual Report
8. Adiournment
Environmental Quality Committee adjourned at 8:27 p.m.
Agenda Number
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE
AGENDA REPORT
DATE: June 6, 2018 for the EQC Meeting of June 13, 2018
TO: Environmental Quality Committee (EQC)
FROM: Derek Asche, Water Resources Manager
SUBJECT: APPROVE 2017 SOLID WASTE ANNUAL REPORT
ACTION REQUESTED: Approve the 2017 Solid Waste Annual Report.
BACKGROUND: The City of Plymouth manages a solid waste program which serves over 24,000
single-family homes and is comprised of recycling, adopt -a -street programming, hazardous
waste, yard waste, and environmental education and events. The city's Solid Waste Fund
supports the operation and maintenance of the solid waste program.
BUDGET IMPACT: There is no budget impact to approve the 2017 Solid Waste Annual Report.
Attachments: 2017 Solid Waste Annual Report
O:\Utilities\Storm Sewer and Water Resources\Environmental Quality Committee\Agenda Reports\2018\Approve Solid Waste Annual Report -
2017.docx
DRAFT SOLID WASTE PROGRAM
2017 ANNUAL REPORT
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Contents
I. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................,..,......................................:...............:.:.:1
II. REVENUE..................................................:.............:..............................................................1
IH. EXPENSES...................................................................................................................._......_................. .2
IV. RECYCLING PROGRAM ............................... .................... ....................................................................... 2
V. ADOPT-A-STREET.....................................................................................................................................4
VI. HAZARDOUS WASTE................................................................................................................................5
VH. YARD WASTE.......... ........................................................................................... ................... ..................5
VIH. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND EVENTS.................................................................................5
IX. ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS AND EQUIVALENT FACTORS......................................................7
I. INTRODUCTION
The Plymouth Solid Waste Program can be divided into five parts: recycling, adopt -a -street, hazardous
waste, yard waste, and environmental education and events. The recycling program consists of single
family, multi -family, and commercial/industrial programs. In addition, the city operates a recycling drop-
off site available to all residents and businesses. The City addresses waste and toxicity and promotes
reduction through an adopt -a -street program, coordination with several City departments (including
Police), and provides support for County programming. The yard waste site is available to city residents
and some nearby communities, including the cities of Wayzata, Medicine Lake, and Long Lake. Education
and environmental events have been a strong part of the City's solid waste program going back decades.
Participation in community events combined with the annual drop-off day has allowed city staff to spread
educational messages and lead by example.
II. REVENUE
Funding for the solid waste program is generated by city recycling fees, city solid waste hauler license
fees, revenue from the sale of processed recyclable materials (as market conditions allow), State of
Minnesota SCORE grant funding passed through to Plymouth by Hennepin County, and other
miscellaneous sources.
The recycling fee is the primary funding source for the solid waste program followed by the SCORE
recycling grant. These two funding sources generate approximately $2.75 per month per household. The
recycling fee is billed bi-monthly on utility statements and SCORE recycling grant funding is allocated to
the City twice each year. The recycling fee for a residential property in 2017 was $2.25 per month. In
2017, the City received $199,942.00 in SCORE (Select Committee on the Environment and Recycling)
funding or approximately $0.75 per month per household to support single unit residential recycling and
education programming. In addition, the City received $4,700.00 from licensing 18 solid waste haulers.
Haulers are listed on the City web site so residents and businesses may contact them directly for trash
service, recycling service, organics service, special pickups, and roll -off or construction and demolition
2017 Solid Waste Annual Report Page / 7
debris hauling. The solid waste licenses do not include organizations that clean homes and businesses,
construction and demolition companies, nor organizations that collect donated items. Revenue from the
sale of recyclable materials was strong in 2017 with the City receiving $82,235.98 total recycling revenue.
That revenue stream is not expected to continue in 2018 as recycling commodity markets are global
markets and are affected by the global economy, weather and other events.
II. EXPENSES
Solid Waste Program expenses include the residential curbside recycling program, the recycling drop-off
site, the yard waste site, the Adopt -A -Street Program, and annual city environmental events (Drop-off
Day, disposal and mitigation of hazardous waste and illegal dumping, class room presentations and
education, environmental education, business waste assessments, etc.).
In 2017, the monthly cost of the solid waste program, including residential curbside recycling collection,
the yard waste site and all other costs, was approximately $3.69 per household per month. The City
contracted with Republic Services for curbside recycling collection at $2.78 per household per month, plus
$100.82 per month for collection at a mobile home park. In addition, collection at the City's recycling
drop-off site 6 days per week was $3,298.00 per month. Recycling collection at some City facilities is
included in the contract. Contractual processing costs of recyclables rose to $87.22 per ton from $85.51
per ton and are deducted from the revenue of the sales of recycling that would have been received by the
City. Extra costs such as hauling and disposal of items illegally dumped at the recycling drop-off site are
also included.
The cost to operate the Solid Waste Program currently exceeds revenue by approximately $0.18 per
household per month. In 2017 rate adjustments were implemented to ensure fund reserves were not
required to support the program.
IV. RECYCLING PROGRAM
Residential Curbside Recycling Program
The City of Plymouth manages a curbside recycling collection program for residents and contracts with
Republic Services for this service. The number of households in the program fluctuates and in 2017 that
number increased by 2.3% from 2016 primarily due to development.
2016 Households provided curbside recycling collection service: 23,989
2017 Households provided curbside recycling collection service: 24,549
Both recyclable materials and residuals are collected curbside in the recycling cart. Residuals in the
recycling cart are the things that cannot be recycled, including trash, yard waste, and hazardous waste
that are wrongly placed in the recycling carts. Maximizing recyclable materials and minimizing residuals
in the cart will result in the most effective curbside recycling program. The amount of residuals collected
in the residential recycling carts in 2017 increased by 2 tons from the previous year. Primarily due to the
City's growth and despite more efficient and lightweight packaging and reduced consumerism, recycling
collected in the curbside cart program increased by 58 tons from the previous year. The County anticipates
reductions in tonnages which is one reason both the State and the County are encouraging additional
recycling programs such as organics.
2016 Recycling collected in curbside carts: 6,132 tons
2017 Solid Waste Annual Report Page 2 / 7
2017 Recycling collected in curbside carts: 6,190 tons
Household participation is a measurement of the percentage of households which set out recycEng carts
in a given period of time, as compared to the total number of households in the program. In 2017, a
portion of one route was counted by Republic Services staff one time on a day in September, 2017.
Republic Services then extrapolated a percentage for all households using these numbers. This is industry
standard for household participation.
2016 Plymouth household recycling participation: 90%
2017 Plymouth household recycling participation: 90%
2016 A Plymouth household's total annual average amount of recycling: 515 pounds
2017 A Plymouth household's total annual average amount of recycling: 504 pounds
Recycling Drop -Off Site
The City also manages a recycling drop-off site available to residents and businesses located at 14800 23rd
Avenue North. Individuals and businesses brought 112 more tons of recyclable material to the drop-off
site in 2017 than in 2016. Unfortunately, 136 tons of residual garbage such as furniture, appliances,
electronics, hazardous waste, and other items that cannot be recycled in the City's contracted recycling
program were also discarded at the site. Staff has made a priority to reduce the amount of residual
garbage at the site in 2018.
2016 Recycling collected at the city's recycling drop-off site: 499 tons
2017 Recycling collected at the city's recycling drop-off site: 611 tons
Commercial/Industrial (C/1) Properties
As of January 1, 2016, State Law requires owners of metro businesses that generate four cubic yards or
more of trash per week to recycle. The property owner is responsible for compliance with the law. This
law encompasses most businesses. Any business in a building with an entity that must recycle under the
law is also required to recycle, even if it is otherwise exempt.
The City is responsible for educating businesses in its community, and mailed an informational post card
to Plymouth businesses in December, 2015. The post card gave details about the amendment to the
recycling law and provided directions to the city and county web sites for more information and guidance.
The City web site provides opportunities for free resources, grants, and city waste assessments. There was
an increased interest in commercial recycling and waste reduction by Plymouth businesses in 2017.
High Density (HD) Residential Properties
The City requires licensed waste haulers to report quarterly the tons of recycling collected from HD
residential facilities within the city. Haulers estimate the tons of recycling collected because the trucks
collect on a route basis which do not remain within city boundaries. The City requires managers of high-
density residential properties to report information about their properties and waste programs, and the
manner in which they educate and communicate with their tenants about waste reduction and recycling.
The state, county and the city require apartment buildings to provide accessible recycling for its tenants.
The numbers below vary as haulers and properties are sold and interpretations vary. State, county, and
2017 Solid Waste Annual Report Page 3 / 7
city staff are working with haulers to better define the parameters in order to streamline this process and
clarify the data.
ADOPT -A -STREET
The Adopt -A -Street Program is a vehicle for local groups,
organizations and individuals to adopt a Plymouth city street.
To become a sponsor, the individual or organization must
pledge to clean the area along the assigned (adopted) street at
least 3 times each calendar year and report the dates to the
city, and maintain the area for a minimum of two years. An
applicant may request an area or street, however, city staff
assign streets based upon safety, city ownership of the street,
and the amount of debris and litter usually in the area.
Neighborhood streets are not typically assigned as those
streets can be maintained by adjacent homeowners.. k5-�
Cleaning both sides of an adopted street includes: picking up litter, reporting graffiti, reporting hazardous
items, reporting large items for pickup, and cleaning the top of storm grates. City crews collect and dispose
of the bags of litter and any other wastes.
The city provides safety vests, trash bags, bag collection and disposal. The city installs a sign in a safe,
visible location on that street, printed with the sponsor's name, which provides community recognition
for the sponsor and the Adopt -A -Street Program.
Thank you to these thirteen sponsors for helping to keep Plymouth streets clean.
1. Armstrong Music Department
36th Avenue between Hwy 169 and Zachary Lane
2. Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church
Vicksburg Lane between Schmidt Lake Road and Rockford Road
3. Boy Scout Troop 567
Zachary Lane from Rockford Road to Bass Lake Road
4. Brocade
Fernbrook Lane between Schmidt Lake Road and Rockford Road, and Schmidt Lake Road from
Fernbrook Lane to Northwest Boulevard
5. Cub Scout Pack 577
Zachary Lane from 36th Avenue to 42nd Avenue
6. Family and Friends of Todd and Sarah
Medina Road between County Road 24 and Brockton Lane
7. Gregg and Lynn FunFar
Vicksburg Lane between Schmidt Lake Road and County Road 47
2017 Solid Waste Annual Report Page 4 / 7
8. Lee Hickerson
Vicksburg Lane between County Road 6 and Highway 55
9. The Mahipathi Family
Schmidt Lake Road between Peony Lane and Vicksburg Lane
10. Plymouth Environmental Quality Committee
Dunkirk Land between County Road 6 and County Road 24
11. Plymouth Fire Station 2
169 Service Road from Nathan Lane to 45th Avenue North
12. The Sarenpa Team — Keller Williams
Ferndale Road from Highway 12 to County Road 6
13. SRF Consulting Group Inc.
Vicksburg Lane between Highway 55 and Rockford Road
Adopt -A -Street applications are available by contacting publicworks@plymouthmn.gov or 763-509-5956.
Volunteers also adopt parks, trails, gardens, playgrounds, and storm drains. For more information about
volunteering, see the city web site at plymouthmn.ov/volunteer.
V. HAZARDOUS WASTE
Illegal dumping and hazardous waste disposal continues to be an issue. Staff from Public Works, Parks
and Recreation, and Public Safety work together to educate, inform, and penalize those who leave
unwanted items at the city's recycling drop-off site and other properties. Hennepin County drop-off
facilities and county sponsored hazardous waste events increase education and have the effect of
reducing the illegal dumping in Plymouth.
VI. YARD WASTE
The City's yard waste site accepts spring and fall yard rakings and thatch, leaves, soft vegetative garden
waste, tree waste, brush, logs, and diseased trees. The site is open from April into November. For more
information, see the city web site at plymouthmn.gov/yardwaste.
VII. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND EVENTS
Education
Staff provided recycling education and materials, waste reduction and hazardous material education and
resources by participating in environmental classroom presentations, communicating with businesses and
apartment managers, at city events, through licensing haulers, communicating with residents, on the
city's web site and social media, city facilities and functions, neighborhood newsletters, and new resident
packets. The city's contracted residential recycling hauler is required to mail a recycling calendar once
annually to every single -unit household in the city. The city provides a recycling guide once annually in the
city newsletter. Solid Waste Program staff ensures that the county's program material is distributed via
social media, the city newsletter, and the city web site as requested by the county and as required in the
grant agreement.
2017 Solid Waste Annual Report Page 5 / 7
Drop -Off Day
In 2017, the annual Drop-off Day was held the last Saturday in April and served 661 vehicles, a small
increase over 2015. Residents were charged a flat $15 fee per vehicle per trip for the high disposal cost
items (not the bulbs, batteries, donations, and paper shredding). Revenue from participants covered 30%
of actual costs compared to 44% in 2015 (actual costs include labor, fuel and solid waste taxes). The
remaining costs are covered by the Hennepin County recycling grant.
A substantial increase in material was collected in 2016 versus 2015 (see table below). The drastic increase
in the amount of electronic waste collected can be attributed to changes in policy and procedure at other
local organizations such as Hennepin County drop-off facilities and retail stores. The increase in the
amount and weight of televisions, monitors and other covered electronic devices collected can be
attributed to the cost associated with getting rid of these items, and the decreasing availability of places
that will accept them. In speaking with many of the event attendees, this was their reason for bringing
several (3 to 6) televisions rather than just one. Many people brought televisions belonging to other
people, not just their own, because of the long line or wait. The cost was lower at the Plymouth Drop-off
Day, than recycling one television at an electronics store.
The increase in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and Construction and Demolition (C&D) debris is attributed
primarily to the entry charge of $15 per vehicle per trip, rather than charging per item. The purpose of
this was to expedite the line, as well as to encourage people to rid their homes of unwanted items. All
items collected at the annual Drop-off Day are accepted year-round elsewhere including by waste haulers,
waste facilities, Hennepin County drop-off facilities, or local charities and businesses.
Material Collected
2016 Amount Collected
2017 Amount Collected
Change
Appliances
181 appliances
229 appliances
27% T
Batteries from households (gallons)
144 pounds
240 pounds
67%
Batteries, lead acid (from vehicles)
45 vehicle batteries
103 vehicle batteries
129% T
Bicycles and parts
53 bicycles
87 bicycles
64%, T
Bulbs
1,778 bulbs,
10 pounds string lights
1,086 bulbs
40% 1
Bulky Items and Textiles Donated
1,500 pounds
0 pounds
NA
Electronics
25,680 pounds
39,119 pounds
52% T
Mattresses and box springs
62 mattresses
box springs
129 mattresses
box springs
10 8,/o T
Metal
3.99 tons
10.10 tons
153% i
Municipal Solid Waste, Bulky Items, and
Construction & Demolition Debris
44.83 tons
53.02 tons
18% T
Paper shredded
6,594 pounds,
22 pounds media
16,511 pounds
150% T
Textiles
0 pounds
2,776 pounds
NA T
Tires
101 tires
174 tires
72% T
2017 Solid Waste Annual Report Page 6 / 7
VIII. ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS AND EQUIVALENT FACTORS
The following data provide estimates of .a , nnn . �n� n e_
i�'csiuents recycled v,ovv tons in cvi i in curbside carts
the environmental benefits of recycling and at the drop-off site. That's equivalent to , ,
when compared to disposal. The
estimates are based on the conversion 3,469 passenger vehicles removed from the road
factors available through the WARM 1,866,742 gallons of gasoline saved that year
model (version 12) and the Greenhouse 38,724 barrels of oil saved that year
Gas Equivalency Calculator (updated 857 fewer households consuming energy that year
October, 2012, and updated in 2015 by 693,806 fewer propane cylinders used for home grills
the EPA), both developed by the EPA. 129 acres of standing forests saved
The recycling from Plymouth households 245 tons of resources saved by recycling steel, including:
and the drop-off site provides 153 tons iron ore saved by recycling steel
environmental benefits to our 85 tons coal saved by recycling steel
community: the recycling was not buried 7 tons lime stone saved by recycling steel
in a landfill or incinerated, it can be used without mining resources, and other factors that are calculated
in the estimates. Note: the factors shown are not cumulative and the numbers should be taken individually
as if all the recycling for the city is the equivalent of the factor stated in that line.
2017 Solid Waste Annual Report Page 7 / 7