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4 use as a fuel at the District Energy plant in Saint Paul. A small amount of the total quantity of wood chips/mulch is left on site for residents to take. Finished compost is hauled each spring from the County’s White Bear Township site (the only County yard waste site where composting currently takes place) to the Arden Hills and all other County yard waste sites and made available to residents at no charge. The active area of the site is approximately 1.5 acres in size. In the early 1990’s, stormwater management consisted of a sedimentation trap designed to filter surface water runoff through a sand berm before the water entered adjacent wetlands. Surface water treatment was improved in 2000 by installing a full stormwater retention pond. The retention pond was designed by engineers at Ramsey County Environmental Services who administer state and local stormwater permit maintenance and reporting requirements for all County facilities. Yard waste received at the Arden Hills site is ultimately managed under hauling contracts that the County periodically procures through a competitive bidding process. County staff administers those contracts and directs yard waste management operations at the site. County site monitors staff the site when it is open to the public. The site monitors’ duties include checking ID’s for County residency, directing traffic, and monitoring the incoming materials for acceptability. Commercial services such as lawn care and tree trimming companies are prohibited from using the County yard waste sites. Site hours are posted on a sign at the entrance to the site. The site is secured by a locked gate at the entrance during closed hours. (The County yard waste sites are available to Ramsey County residents only—with one minor exception. The County has a Joint Powers Agreement with the City of St. Anthony to allow St. Anthony residents that reside in Hennepin County to use of any of the County yard waste sites.) During four weekends in the fall, the County coordinates fundraising opportunities with area community groups, such as school sports teams, to receive donations for helping residents unload their leaves. Site hours will be expanded if the SSO drop-off portion of this CUP request is approved. Those expanded hours would then coincide with hours at the other six County yard waste site to include weekends during the winter months (December – March). In addition to SSO drop-off, all forms of yard waste would continue to be accepted during the winter hours. Source-Separated Organics (SSO) Drop-off Collection Services Proposal In September 2013 the Ramsey County Board authorized adding SSO drop-off at all seven Ramsey County yard waste sites, including the Arden Hills site. SSO includes food waste/scraps and non-recyclable paper. EH staff began pursuing local permits in late 2013 for SSO collection services at the yard waste sites, which included submitting an application for a CUP to the City of Arden Hills in early 2014. The Arden Hills application was denied at that time due to concerns that the service would affect the use of the park and neighboring properties by increasing odors, litter, and traffic, and attracting unwanted wildlife. Ramsey County has since gathered information that addresses these concerns from the first three years (2014-2016) of providing SSO collection services at the other six County yard waste sites (Attachment A). The information in Attachment A was reviewed at the May, 15, 2017 Arden Hills City Council Work Session. Based on recommendation by the City Council, Ramsey County seeks to reapply for SSO drop-off at the Arden Hills yard waste site.