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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL FEBRUARY 24, 201416 The motion carried (5-0). D.Planning Case 14-008 CUP Yard Waste and Organics Site Ramsey County Associate Planner Bachler stated that through an agreement with Ramsey County, the City first began collecting grass clippings, leaves, and garden waste at Tony Schmidt Regional Park in 1984. The County Public Health Department took over management of the site in 1990. In 2004, the County Board approved the expansion of collection services to include trees and shrubs. The composting of the yard waste is completed off-site and finished compost is made available to County residents each spring. Trees and shrubs are chipped at the collection area and a small amount of the mulch is left on site for use by residents. In 2013, there were slightly more than 50,000 visits to the Arden Hills collection site and a total of 43,400 cubic yards of yard waste was composted. Associate Planner Bachler indicated that the Ramsey County Solid Waste Master Plan requires that all municipalities provide residential Source Separated Organics (SSO) collection by 2016. SSO includes all food waste and non-recyclable paper. In 2013, the Ramsey County Board authorized adding SSO drop-off collection areas at the seven Ramsey County yard waste sites, including the Arden Hills site. These County managed sites are viewed as an interim solution that will act as a bridge until residential organics collection becomes viable. If approved, collection of SSO at the site would begin in the spring of 2014. Associate Planner Bachler explained that the existing yard waste collection area in Arden Hills occupies approximately 1.5 acres of land in Tony Schmidt Regional Park at the end of Hudson Avenue off of New Brighton Road. The SSO collection area would be located on the eastern side of the site, away from where yard waste and tree collection areas are currently located. The current hours of operation for the yard waste site will be adjusted to allow for year-round SSO drop off. Two Ramsey County employees would be on site at all times to provide directions and ensure quality control. Associate Planner Bachler reported that Ramsey County is proposing to use one covered container to collect SSO materials. It is anticipated that initially the size of the container would be two cubic yards, but the size may be increased based on how popular the program becomes. The container would be leak-proof and locked when the site is not open to the public. Participants would be required to bag organic materials in compostable bags, which will be provided by the County at no cost in 2014 and 2015. Ramsey County expects that by using a covered container and requiring materials to be securely bagged, odors associated with the SSO materials would be minimized. Additionally, the County will be contracting with a private hauler to regularly remove the SSO materials to a permitted organic processing facility. Pick-up service would occur weekly, with additional collections scheduled on an as-needed basis. Associate Planner Bachler stated that the Arden Hills yard waste site is an approved permit-by- rule site with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Ramsey County will be submitting an application with MPCA for the SSO collection area, which will become an amendment to their existing permit. In 2000, the County improved the surface water treatment on the site by installing a stormwater retention pond. Ramsey County Environmental Services